to live again
by rykt-id
Summary: ryouske is a cold and calculating boy. He was always serious and silent. Now he meets a cheerful and brazen girl who doesn't seem to care about his career. She doesn't try to flaunt him as an accessory, like others want to do to other racers. No, this gir
1. Chapter 1: Serendipity

Chapter 1: Serendipity Hey guys! This is my first fic I've ever posted on the net. I hope you like it. I researched for the exact location of the anime, but I only found a Gumma Prefecture, and no Gunma Prefecture. I thought it was just a typographical error, so I adopted it. I also found out that the area where the racers where occurring was situated between Shibata, Maebashi, and Utsonomiya. It was just a guess. I'm not sure. Anyway, if you know where it really is, kindly tell me. Thanks! 

DISCLAIMER: I do not won Initail D. I do not own the hunky characters - Keisuke and Ryouske. I just borrowed them to create a fanfiction. 

* * *

It was a very hot Saturday night. The galleries of Akagi mountain pass were tightly packed with visitors and onlookers. A battle, between the Red Suns and the Emperors for the pride of Gumma racers, was about to come to an end. Racers from different areas of the Gumma prefecture were there to support their last line of defense against the marauding Emperors. The recent defeat of Akina's Hachi-Roku in this same course heightened their fear of the sly and slithering Emperors. They used to think that Akina's Eight-Six driven by the genius Fujiwara Takumi is undefeatable in the downhill. But they were wrong; they forgot to consider one very important thing in making this assumption. It was not only technique and skill that matters in racing. The vehicle was also an asset that either gives you either advantage or disadvantage on the road. Kyouichi and his Lan Evo III proved it. 

This particular race between Ryouske and Kyouichi would not only determine who the real king of the road is. It would also determine whether the Emperors could complete the vicious plunder of the region's racing dignity. People were discussing in hushed voices filled with worry. Some started to doubt Takahashi's credibility after that unexpected first defeat in the hands of the young racer Fujiwara. And the worse part was that the boy was driving a ten-year old car model without special racing features! 

_ "Damn! Do you think Takahashi could do it?" _

"I'm doubtful. He was defeated by a Hachi-Roku, for Pete's sake!" 

"That FC is no match for that Lan Evo III, both in the uphill and downhill" 

"The Lan Evo is a road monster equipped with the autocross misfiring system and four-wheel driving ability." 

"Unlike in the case of the Hachi-Roku, the FC has no advantage on the corners because the Lan Evo can enter and exit a corner while accelerating. It is the real power of the misfiring system!" 

But there are still others who have faith in RY's skills. They believe that no matter what, Gunma's racing ace will win. 

_ "I still think that Ryouske-sama can beat that bastard Seiji! I just can feel it" _

"Yeah. Same here. GO RYOUSKE-sama!" 

It was almost about time for the race to culminate as the two vehicles reach the last corner of the mountain pass. The FC was tailgating the Lan Evo, and it seemed that the Lan Evo could not outrun the FC. The racers were approaching the last corner before the straight runway towards the finish. Ryouske knew that the last chance to win the race occurs at this critical point. If he were not able to overtake the Lan Evo in this corner, there would be no more chance for him to overtake in the straight road. The difference in their engine power said it all. Kyouichi already thought he won this race. He thought that there was no more chance for the genius to overtake him from the outside curve. But he was wrong. He took the inside and left the outside too open. He underestimated his opponent's thinking abilities, however, and in an eye blink Ryouske overtook him. It was a sweet revenge and retribution for all of Gunma's pride. 

_ "Alright, Ryouske!" _

"The Red Suns did it again. Ryouske is really the top racer and is truly the best!" 

"Ryouske-sama, love me!!!" 

"Eeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" 

"Ne aniki," Keisuke, the blond spiky-haired guy from the Red Suns, slapped his brother's shoulders in a congratulating gesture while letting out a sigh of relief, "that was a very good race you won. You are…" 

His words were cut off by a loud screaming and cheering from the crowd, 

_ "R-Y-O-U-S-K-E! _

R-Y-O-U-S-K-E! 

From north to south to east to west, 

Ryouske-sama, you sweep the rest! 

Ryouske-sama, you're the best!" 

The girls were screaming in obvious delight and adoration of their teen idol. They were fast approaching the racing ace, ready to hug him and ogle, and you know - stuff fans do. 

"Aniki," there was laughter in his voice now, "this really is getting strange. I feel like I'm in a basketball game instead of a mountain race." He shook his head in disbelief, "These girls remind me of the preppy cheerleaders in high school. They're really loud and annoying!" He chuckled to himself. 

Ryouske ignored his brother's attempt to humor him. He was far too consumed in his own world right now to throw some smart-ass remarks to his brother. 

"But at least," Kenta butted in their conversation, "it is better than rocks being hurled at you for losing to that monkey Emperor guy!" 

Kenta attempted to laugh at his own joke, but the glare he saw in Ryouske's eyes stopped him. He was suddenly embarrassed and turned to leave the two. 

It was not in his present mood to have a bit of humor in his system. Everything about Ryouske now was serious and scary. His eyes were narrowed into thin slits, and his face was flushed with the heat of the recent battle. He stood still, unmoving, like a phantom in the night. Keisuke even used to say that his aniki was beastly after a race so there was no use cheering him up. 

"Forgive him, aniki," Keisuke tried to save his friend, "He just doesn't know you that much." He tried to convince his brother to have fun instead and spend his night with friends, "Let's just head over to the club. I heard that Bad Luck is there to perform. There will be lots of girls and beer. It will be…" 

But before Keisuke could finish his sentence, Ryouske was already boarding his white FC, "I'll pass." With that, he drove away from the group of racers, away from the noisy cheeky girls, away from the traces of the heat of the recent battle, away from Mount Akagi. 

It was to the mountain pass of Akina that this racer decided to take a drive. At times, when his adrenaline rush for a race threatens to overpower his mind, he goes for a slow drive through Mount Akina to calm his nerves. Ryouske likes the mountain pass for many different reasons. The air at night is very cool and invigorating after an enervating race. The harmonious melody by tree crickets is very soothing, and the sound of the rustling of leaves reaching his ear is like the soft music that lulls him to sleep. The serenity of the night, especially before midnight, is incomparable to other places, since not many people drive through Akina. Ryouske opened his car window, letting the cool night breeze ruffle his hair and kiss his cheeks. 

"It's so lovely in here," he whispered to himself. The beast in him is slowly departing, leaving his peaceful self in its place. "How I wish I could stay like this for the rest of my days." 

The mountain pass of Akina is a very dear place for him. It is not only the venue where his winning record was marred by Akina's Hachi-Roku; it's also a place where many of his childhood memories are preserved. On this mountain is where he spent his first love's days. On this mountain is where the heart of a once cheerful boy was buried not long ago. On this mountain is where Ryouske died and where Ryouske was reborn. On this mountain is where he first began his racing career. And only on this mountain could he still feel the happiness he tasted when he was younger and the pain that was its price to pay. It wasn't in his personality to be sentimental, but he couldn't help it whenever he drives through Akina. It was just inevitable. 

"It's so peaceful in here... Shizuka…" 

It all happened four years ago, before high school graduation. He was then an enthusiastic boy who cared naught about cars or racing. He was just like any normal high school guy whose attention was paid only towards his girlfriend - Shizuka. As the name suggests, Shizuka was a peaceful girl. She was always silent, poised, and mild. She had long brown hair that the wind always loved to play with. Her smile was like sunshine and never ceases to make his heart melt like candle wax; her laughter was the sound of golden bells singing that makes his heart burst in happiness. She always carried an air of serenity about her, a sense of peace and a promise of happiness that enveloped her being. This quality attracted him to her more strongly than anything in this world. When he's with her, he feels like his problem dissolves to thin air. All worries from his face disappear, and in its place is a warm and accommodating smile. This was how Takahashi Ryouske used to be, before he was exposed to the cruelty of reality. 

When Ryouske turned eighteen, he received his first car as a gift from his father. It was a red two-door Toyota Corolla. Ryouske and Shuzuka would often go out for a drive after classes. They wander off to many places - from Akagi to Usui to Akina. They do this often to escape from the worries of the world and to enjoy life to the fullest. 

_ "Ryo, life is surely beautiful, isn't it?" _

"It sure is, Shiz, especially when you're here with me" 

"But I think I could never be the same again if I lost you…" 

The two of them would often drive for long hours while listening to music in the car's stereo or while chatting about how the day went for both of them; they were really close and bonded. Some even say they were inseparable. The two of them often take picnics, with Shiz preparing the snacks and Ryo bringing the drinks and blankets. It felt like they could go on like this forever, never tiring, as long as they had each other to hold onto. But their favorite place for the drive was the Akina mountain pass, where they got a lot of privacy. Near Lake Akina, there was a huge tree that was rumored to have magical powers to make wishes come true. They often go there and ask the tree to fulfill their wishes. 

_ "What did you wish for, this time, Shiz?" _

"Do you really want to know?" 

"Of course. I want to know what you think and feel." 

"I wished… I asked the tree to grant that we will always be together." 

But Ryouske knew that life is a turning wheel; sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. Every piece of happiness you receive has a price to pay, and the magnitude of the pain it brings is even greater. He knew that in the near future, this almost perfect bliss he was in would turn to dark waters. But despite all this, he was willing to take the chance. He was willing to taste happiness with Shiz even if he knew there was nowhere else to go if you're already on top but to the bottom. He knew the dreaded day would come at his doorstep one day… But little did he know that his pain would be too much to last a lifetime. 

_ (Shizuka's friend's voice) "Ryouske-san, Ryouske-san! I was searching the whole school for you!" _

"Why, Mina-chan, is there a problem?" 

"I don't know how to say this…" 

"What is it? Come on, you can tell me.' 

"I-it's about Shizuka. This morning… this morning she was found in her room. It turned out she took too much sleeping pills." 

"Wh-what? What are you saying? Is she alright? In what hospital is she staying? Is she okay? What did the doctors say?" 

"I'm sorry. There was nothing else the doctors could do. We were all shocked, but they said it was too late for them to pump out the pills from her body. She was already in rigor mortis when she was found. Shizuka is dead…" 

"Nooooooo!!!!!!!!!" 

* * *

After the sad accident, nobody could ever cheer up Ryouske again, not even his mischievous younger brother Keisuke. He would always go to classes alone, drive alone, eat alone. He was always lost in his own world and inattentive in class, unlike before. The last time his friends saw the joy in his eyes was the last day that he'd been with her. It felt like a part of him died and was taken by Shizuka to the grave. After this tragic day, nobody ever saw again the old Ryouske. 

Nobody knew where Ryouske actually went to the day he found out about Shizuka's accident. Only Ryouske knew that the sole witness to his mourning was the magical tree of Mount Akina, where his and Shizuka's names were still engraved inside a heart on the tree's trunk. It was this tree that witnessed most of his happy days with Shizuka. But it was also this tree that witnessed the death of Takahashi Ryouske. 

Late that night, Ryouske went home. Except for the haggard look on his face, he seemed better now. The tears in his eyes had long dried; the pain long gone. But in their place was icy glare that conceals the anguish he feels over the loss of someone dear to him. His heart didn't feel like being pricked by a million needles anymore. Instead, it felt hard and cold like steel. He didn't acknowledge his parents when they greeted him, nor did he return Keisuke's affectionate pat on the back. He just walked by them like they were invisible and shut the door of his room behind him. He closed the door to the past, to the old chapter of his life. But he couldn't leave there the scars that marred his heart. 

Ryouske was suddenly snapped out of his reverie when he caught a glimpse of a blinking light in the distance. It looked like a signal from a car parked on the road's shoulder, but he wasn't certain due to the vast darkness that envelops this part of the mountain. He slowly pulled up and approached the unfortunate car. By the look of the its exterior, Ryouske could already guess that the driver is not a mountain racer. No part of the vehicle was enhanced for better performance on either the uphill or the downhill travel. The wheels were already in bad condition, not the type with good grip. And he could guess that the engine was just some normal type, at most 150 horsepower. He stopped in front of the car door and asked in the dark, "Hello? Is anyone there?" 

A cold wind blew, and there was a sudden commotion inside the car. Ryouske could only hear muffled mumbling but no coherent words. He asked again, and then came a reply in the dark, "I'm in here." It was a rich female voice. "My car broke down, and I couldn't ask anybody for help." The car door suddenly opened and a figure came out of the shadows to introduce her self. She gracefully extended her hand to him, "My name is Yumi." There was a sudden change in her voice. He couldn't make it if it was whiny or just perky, "I'm here to visit a friend in Akagi, but as you can see my car broke down. I thought people passing by would see my signal light, but I guess not many people come here often. I tried to call for help, but my phone's battery went dead. Again, I'm Yumi, The Jinx Queen." She was speaking at a speed of at least a hundred miles per hour. 

Ryouske was suddenly confused. This girl was really talkative. She was babbling on and on about what happened without being asked. It was a strong contrast to the serene mood of the night. 

"Nice to meet you." She shook his hand cheerfully and continued, " and you are?" 

Ryouske was brought back to his senses with her simple question. Maybe she was just happy that someone came to save her. "I'm Ryouske." 

"Ah, Ryouske." She walked closer to him and inspected his face, "you don't look like a rapist or a robber. You look almost decent, in fact. So I guess it is okay for me to trust you. You see…" 

_ What's with this girl, seriously? I can't believe she's talking this fast and didn't seem to care. Did she drink too much coffee? _

"… Hey! You're not listening to me." She waved her hand in front of his eyes to make sure he was still awake. "I said I've been here for five hours now. The mosquitoes are already fat with my blood." She pointed at her slim bare arms, "See? There are so many blotches visible. But there's nothing much I can do but bear with them until somebody arrives to rescue me. But I also figured a while ago that rescuers would not come until tomorrow morning. And so I slept here in my car…" 

Yumi's endless babbling was cut short by Ryouske's question, "What's the matter with your car?" 

"Oh! The car? I don't know. It just stopped while I was driving. I was listening to L'Arc En Ciel in my car stereo when suddenly, smoke appeared from the car's hood and the engine stopped. I guess it was the engine, because I tried to restart it but it won't budge… Hey! What are you doing to my car?" 

While Yumi was talking on and on, Ryouske decided to take a look at the engine. He guessed that it was an engine failure. He popped up the hood and took out a flashlight from his pocket. He started inspecting the heart and soul of the vehicle when Yumi suddenly popped up behind him. 

"What are you doing to my car?" 

"I'm searching for the problem so I can fix it." 

"Oh, I get it! You're a mechanic, right? You will fix my car, so I can go to my friend's house" 

"…" 

"Hey, why are you such a snob? I'm talking to you, remember?" 

Ryouske finally closed the hood and returned the flashlight to his pocket. "I found the problem, but it cannot be fixed here." 

She was shocked, "Does this mean that my car needs to be towed to the mechanic? But it couldn't be done until tomorrow!" She was now talking to herself, "Then this means that I will sleep here through the night and wait for the tow away truck tomorrow morning." 

Even though Ryouske was irritated by this overzealous girl, he still tried to act like a gentleman. "Well, you don't have to sleep here. I can offer you a ride to your friend's house." 

Upon hearing the man's offer, she became alarmed, "Are you saying that I must leave my car here? Alone? What if some robbers come here and car-nap it? And you're asking me to come with you?" She stopped short and eyed him suspiciously, "You're not a mechanic, are you? You're planning something! Well, I won't hear it!" She turned her back to him and started for her car. "I'd better rot here and die than come with a pervert like you!" In no time, she was inside the car and back in the shadows. 

Ryouske was about to give up on her, but he caught a glimpse of a familiar tree - the magical tree. He didn't realize that they were near Lake Akina now. He was too lost in his reverie a while ago to notice the sparkling water of the lake, and the strange breeze that blows over it. He felt a little strange, like the tree was actually giving him patience and courage to help this mule-headed lady. He let out a sigh and started, "Look, miss Yumi, I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to help you. I'm from Akagi, so I can drop you to your house." He made room for a dramatic pause, "But if you feel that it's better to spend the night with the mosquitoes, it's fine with me. I'm not in the right position to insist and drag you out of here. Just a warning, though - this isn't a safe place." He now turned to leave, but a light hand on his shoulder stopped him. He was expecting this. He was so sly and such a consummate liar at times. 

"Wait…" Yumi said apologetically, "I'm sorry about my attitude. I don't mean to insult you. Can you please take me to my friend's house?" 

* * *

"Causes stain… stay away!" Yumi was singing loudly now in Ryouske's car. She was so lively, tapping her fingers on her lap and swaying her body a little to the music. She was oblivious to the world around her, not realizing she was inside Ryouske's car; not knowing she was being observed by the driver beside her through the mirror. 

_ Man. This is so irritating. I didn't expect to find a woman here stuck in Mount Akina alone. This is so strange. Of all times to fall down, why now? _

What's wrong with this woman? She's so alive and brazen. She doesn't seem to have inhibitions, singing like this and tapping like that. All of the girls who accompany me were shy - or at least trying to be just to get my attention. Plus, she doesn't seem to know who I REALLY am. She doesn't seem to care that I am the popular Takahashi Ryouske! Is she playing with me? Or is she that dumb not to know? 

* * *

An hour later, Yumi was still in Ryouske's car. She seemed to have forgotten the exact location of her friend's house. She just kept on saying it was a blue apartment near a bookstore in Akagi. The white FC was roaming around Akagi for almost an hour now, but Ryouske knew that there was no blue apartment near a bookstore here. He was silently pissed off, but he kept his cool to avoid further problems. He tried again to ask for directions from this peculiar being he was with now, "Yumi, what is the exact address, so I can verify if we are in the right place?" 

She was also pissed, and she didn't even try to hide it, "Wait, okay? I'm searching for it." She searched in her bag, in her pocket, in her wallet… and finally! She took out the piece of paper from her wallet and read it, "… Kyogi Street… Ashikaga… Ashikaga?!?" She slapped her mouth to stop the curses that were about to pour out of them. "Ano, Ryouske-san, I think we're in the wrong place." 

Ryouske just glared at her and headed for Ashakagi, about two miles away from Akagi. 

* * *

Yumi was silent on the way to Ashikaga. She was observing this odd guy beside her. 

_ Seriously, though. What is wrong with him? He's so silent and cold. I could even feel the chills at the back of my head. I didn't do anything wrong, you know. I just forgot! Okay, okay! I know I should be thankful to him for helping me out, but still, he's so irritatingly silent! Like he's weighing my worth with his eyes. This is so creepy. I've met many guys before who were also silent. But their silence comes from shyness and not arrogance! I can feel that he is rude, and just look at those cold and cruel eyes! But… but it doesn't seem to fit in his handsome face. It's so wrong for him. Up close, he is very presentable. No, he's attractive and hunky. He looks like a fashion model. Oh, right! That's why he looks very familiar to me. He looks like someone out from the covers of a magazine. This night is getting weirder by the moment! _

* * *

After another hour, Ryouske was able to locate the house. It was indeed near a bookstore, and it was a blue apartment. But it wasn't in Akagi… in Ahikaga. He parked the FC in front of the apartment's gate. He turned off the car stereo, which was still hot from the continuous playing of Hyde's voice. He pressed the button and returned the CD to Yumi, who was abnormally silent on the way to Ashikaga. He wagered she was embarrassed over her mistake. 

"Look, Yumi," he slowly started, "I'm not mad. I'm sorry if I glared at you or acted so cold. This was just unexpected." 

She was still silent for a long while, until she found the voice to reply, "It was I who should be sorry, Ryouske. You were just being a gentleman to bring me home, but what did I do? I lost my control and yelled at you. I'm sorry." She bowed her head and fell silent again. 

"We're here now, and we're safe," he smiled at her for the first time. 

Yumi was taken aback by the smile slowly spreading across his face. It was a warm, friendly, and reassuring smile, but it was still pretty. It was the first positive reaction she got from him. "Hahaha," she laughed; she couldn't help it. 

"What's so funny?" he asked, perplexed. 

"Nothing," she finally smiled at him, "It was just weird to see you smile. You have warmth in you, after all." Unexpectedly, she leaned over to him and planted a friendly kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for everything," she said. She got out of the car and headed for the gate, and then disappearing into the shadows again, just like the first time he saw her. 

* * *

Whew! That wasn't hard at all. At last! My first fic on the net. Isn't it great? I'm really looking forward to finishing this story. I hope you liked it. I'm also expecting some of your useful reviews. 


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

Chapter 2: Discovery Nyahaha!!! This is chapter 2 of my fic. It took me three days to write and edit it. Too bad… But I still hope you like it. If you have any comments that you don't want to post here, you can e-mail me at rykt_id@yahoo.com Thanks for reading! 

* * *

_ "Ryo! Ryo!" _ a friendly voice in a strange place called out to him. He seemed to be in a forest, where there were many trees around him - cherry blossom, oak, mahogany, redwood … It was a splendid, it almost like heaven! 

_ "Ryo! Here! Over here!" _

He turned to see a figure dressed in green like a nymph. She appeared to be smiling up at him, but he wasn't sure. The sun was directly cast upon his eyes, so the glare from the light made it hard for him to see her face. But he was sure it was _ she _ - the unmistakable flowing brown hair being played upon by the wind. She was standing a few feet away from him now. Oh how easy it would be to come closer to her and hold her tight. All these years, he waited for her to come back - rise from the dead. 

_ "Come here, Ryo. Come…" _

She was calling for him now, urging him to come to her with an outstretched hand. The voice was painfully familiar, so familiar and long gone that he wished so hard to hear it again. She was standing still now, looking up at him with her masked face 

_ "Ryouske, come! Let's drive through Mount Akina. I want to visit the Wishing Tree again" _

There was an echo of joyful laughter and excitement in her voice, but he still couldn't see her. Oh how he wished to see her and hold her and hug her! If this was a dream, he never wanted to awaken and lose this marvelous moment. 

Suddenly, it became dark and snow began falling. It fell on his face, his clothes... He could feel its coolness against his body, the hardness of it a contrast to skin's softness. The sun wasn't there anymore. It as hidden behind the dark clouds that was cast over him. He looked back just to find that she wasn't there anymore. She had disappeared with the forest and the dream. On her place stood a tree covered in snow. It looked like the Wishing Tree he and she used to visit on Mount Akina. No, it wasn't just the image of the tree. It was the same tree! 

_ "Shizuka!!! Shizuka!!!" _ He desperately searched for her in the vast emptiness that replaced the forest. He called out for her, _ "Shizuka! Come back! Come back to me…!" _ He tried to turn and run, but the extreme coldness of the snow inhibited any kind of motion. He stood still, unmoving, like a monument. He was slowly being buried beneath the pile of cold tears falling from the sky. He was slowly sinking… freezing… losing control… He wanted to chase the dream and not let it slip away. He wanted to find her, but she was gone. 

* * *

He suddenly awoke, feeling the intense cold invading his body. He left the air conditioner in his room for too long, and now he was shivering due to the low temperature. Drowsily, he turned off the machine and glanced at the timer beside his bed. _ Eleven Ten _. It was nearly high noon, but he was still dozing off in his room. Unmindfully, he went to the bathroom and took a shower. The water was warm against his skin, thanks to the ever-reliable water heater. The warmth replaced the coldness he had felt earlier and returned the life in his body. He let the warm water trickle down his dark hair, down his pale face… The strange dream suddenly returned to him. 

"Shizuka…" he muttered under his breath, "It's been so long." He contemplated on the dream for a while, thinking of the most logical meaning it tried to convey. It was short-lived, momentary, but vivid and realistic. It was odd, however, how he could not see her beautiful face in the light. And why was it that she wore a green nymph dress? She'd never worn green before, thinking that it didn't suit her. But what could it mean? Why would she make an apparition to him in his dream? He didn't understand why she would disturb him now. He hadn't dreamed about her for three years… 

He turned off the shower and dried himself. Obviously, there was no use thinking about the preternatural. There was no answer right now anyway. He put on his clothes and headed for the door. 

* * *

Keisuke thought he was up too early today. Usually, he would find his brother sipping coffee by the table and reading the morning news when he walks in the dining hall. But today was different, and it wasn't because Keisuke woke up earlier than his brother. Nay, he still got up late after the sun has appeared on the horizon. What was odd was that his aniki was even later. 

"I wonder what has happened to him…?" Keisuke muttered to himself while he devoured the eggs on the table. 

* * *

"Oi, aniki," Keisuke called out when his brother appeared on the dining hall. Ryouske was already dressed in white cargo pants and navy blue polo. "Where have you been last night? You came in later than I did!" He was stuffing his mouth with hotdogs shaped like an octopus. 

Ryouske was already sipping his coffee when he replied, "Nowhere in particular. I just drove through Akina to cool off." 

"Really now?" There was a cloud of doubt in his eyes now. He thought his brother was lying, "If that's the truth, then why did I find this in the passenger seat of your car?" He flaunted a wallet in front of his aniki's face. You would have guessed that it was a girl's wallet just by looking at it. The flowery designs on the leather said it all. "I found it there when I was searching for the _ Bad Luck CD _ I left in your car stereo. I know this is a woman's wallet. Look at the distasteful choice of floral design!" He shook his head in disgust. "However, I like it. It's yellow green, you know." He put the wallet on the table and started teasing his aniki, "So who is the lucky babe, Ryouske? Come on, you can tell me." 

Ryouske, who was sitting across his brother on the table, folded the morning paper and sipped his coffee. He seemed oblivious to his brother's incessant teasing. Finally, when he felt that his brother was really anxious to hear the answer, he replied, "Ah, you mean Yumi? I just met her last night. Her car engine broke down, and I happened to pass by" 

"But still," Keisuke seemed to be enjoying this topic of conversation, thinking that he could rile his brother for fun, "you never let any girl sit on the passenger seat. I think she is be special." 

_ Special, all right. _ He thought to himself. _ She is special to the point of being bizarre _. He thought of the way she acted so lively and brazen, like an untamed falcon. She was so carefree and without inhibitions. _ She is odd. Really odd. _ And he remembered the departing kiss the girl gave him before she disappeared into the shadows. She was truly different from other women he had known. _ They don't kiss guys whom they just met for a couple of hours! _

Ryouske was jolted back to reality when his brother started waving his hand in front of his face. 

"Aniki…" Keisuke sounded mockingly shocked, "You have an unusual look on your face. It's scary!" He inspected his brother's face more closely and saw the deep lines on his forehead that meant that he was thinking really hard. "Yuck! You seem to be distracted with this female." He shook his head in disgust. 

Ryouske just clucked his tongue in response to his brother's taunts. "You just know her, KT. She's really weird." He started to withdraw from the dining table and headed for the garage where their cars were parked. 

"Oi! Where are you going?" His younger brother was suddenly at his side. "You're going to return the wallet? I'm coming with you. I want to meet this special lady." Keisuke emphasized the word special, for his brother to understand his real agenda - which was to spy on him. 

"Whatever" 

* * *

Almost an hour had passed, and Keisuke was getting impatient. He didn't know that this girl was living in Ashikaga, and Ashikaga is at least two hours drive from his home! "Ryouske, you could have warned me that the drive would be long." He was getting whiny by the moment. He frowned, letting his brother know how unhappy he was of waiting for too long, "I could have brought some CDs and turned up the stereo, you know." He was desperate to find something to do. Out of boredom, he explored Yumi's purse. At first glance, the purse looked ordinary except for the wild green color. But when Keisuke opened it, he was surprised at the contents. There were lots of ID's, membership cards, and visa and credit cards. The thickness of the wallet was due to these laminated plastics! 

"Ne, aniki," Keisuke said "did you know that Yumi's real name is Sydney? I think she's not Japanese" He was inspecting the wallet's contents - from the cards to the license and the ID. 

"No," his voice was still cold and distant, "and I don't think you should be doing that." 

"Whatever". He didn't even flinch in the coldness of his brother's voice. Besides, he was already used to it. _ But at least I won't be bored anymore… _ Keisuke thought to himself with an evil grin as he searched through another pack of cards. There were so many cards to go through, that an hour would not be sufficient to complete the task. His eye was caught by a white, formal-looking plastic card. It surely seemed out of place. When Keisuke flipped it over, he realized that it was an office card. 

He scrutinized the picture in her ID and realized that the eyes that were staring back at him were the color of deep green emeralds. They were both enchanting and fascinating, you would feel like you were being pulled into it. It was like being enchanted to go to the deepest part of the sea. 

_ …Sydney Smith… _ "So her full, real name is Sydney Smith." 

_…twenty years old…_ "She's twenty! Younger than you are." 

_…blood type AB…_ "She's blood type AB, too, like me. Hehe" 

_…resident of Memphis, Tennessee… _ "And she lives in US. So that explains the name." 

_…and doctor of medicine… _ "And she's a do-" … _ A what? _

Keisuke's mindless chanting of the information on Yumi's card was cut off. He was shocked to even speak, A doctor of Medicine?!? He was dumbfounded at the idea. A twenty-year old girl was already a doctor? If this were true, the she should be a real genius. Then she should also be a good match for his loveless aniki. They both have the same intellectual endowments, though in different fields. 

However, a tinge of worry seeped through his mind. Even if they had much in common, there was still a wee chance of them getting together. For the simple reason that Ryouske despises doctors! Well, not really despises, but more of dislikes them. He became like this when the doctors failed to save Shizuka from the realm of death. Well, it wasn't completely the ER doctors' fault, because the discovery of her body was too late. But it was also her personal doctor's fault for not giving her the right dosage of the pills! 

The accident caused his brother a lot of pain, and he knew it. His brother changed almost overnight from a perky boy to a grave one. But the greatest effect of this incident on his brother, in his opinion, was the loss of his brother's dream to follow in their father's footsteps. When Ryouske was young, he used to say that he wanted to become a doctor. Due to his exceptional performance in school, their parents thought that it would be attainable. He remembered how they used to call his aniki as "Doc", and Ryouske would smile and say, "Soon". But it was different now. Ryouske didn't even like going to the hospital anymore, not even when their mother lay in her deathbed in there. During that time, Keisuke stayed all the time, watching over his mother, while his brother locked himself up in his room and waited for further announcements. It was horrible! But Keisuke understood to well. He knew that his brother's anguish was not yet healed, so there was no use in pushing him. 

Keisuke felt the car had suddenly come to a complete stop. He realized that they were already at Yumi's place, and her wallet was still in a mess! As fast as he could, he returned the cards to its proper places and handed the purse to his brother. "Good luck, aniki!" and he threw the purse at his brother. Ryouske caught it and, as usual, just ignored his brother. Instead, he took out a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on. In addition to that, he hid the mass of his rich dark hair beneath a baseball cap and got out of the car. 

* * *

Ryouske, in his disguise, was standing in front of the blue apartment's gates. He was in the middle of pushing the button of the doorbell, when suddenly it swung open. In an instant, he came face to face with an unfamiliar-looking woman. 

"Excuse me?" She stared at him from head to foot. She was a tall woman, almost as tall as he was. She had a nonchalant look on her face, "Can I help you?" 

"My name is Ryouske," he replied in his diplomat's voice - smooth and sure, "I'm here to return the purse that Miss Smith dropped in my car last night." He held out the flashy wallet in front of him as proof. "Is she here?" 

The woman took time to think about it and to scrutinize the man from head to foot before she answered, "She's here all right. You can come in." She led him inside the garden and into the house, finally leaving him in the porch to wait for Miss Smith. 

He sat on the huge black couch, willing himself to be comfortable in this strange place. The paintings on the wall looked very gothic to him; they do not possess color at all. And the sculptures around him looked like ancient creatures that stare back at him with watching eyes. It was really creepy, making the hair from the back of his head rise. Then, out of the blue, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. 

"Yo! How are you?" It was Yumi, dressed in yellow sleeveless shirt and white tennis shorts. She looked like she came from tennis practice, with the sweat still trickling down her face and the hair sticking to her forehead like plaster. He looked at her and saw the tan of her firm and muscular arms and the nice, shapely legs. She was brown, and he was pale. It was a pleasure to the eyes to see such a thing! 

"I'm here to return this to you," he said very straightforwardly. "You dropped it in my car last night." He gave her the wallet, his hand brushing against hers. It was light, yet it was enough to make his skin tingle. 

"Oh my wallet!" She exclaimed, too loudly for his ears, though, "I was looking for it in my bag and couldn't find it." She took the wallet from his hands and thanked him dearly. "It was a good thing that I didn't lose it. All my valuable stuff are in here." She placed the wallet on top of the side table and gave him a warm, almost shy smile. "You know, from the moment I first met you, you were always saving my hide." She laughed softly at the idea of her being a damsel in distress always saved by the man the mask. It was funny. "I was thinking," her forehead was crinkled in consternation, "how about you join me for dinner tonight? Just for thanksgiving." She looked at him expectantly. 

"Look," Ryouske started in usual coot tone of voice, "I have many responsibilities, and I don't have time for this." 

"… but he's going to join you for dinner." A voice from the doorway continued. It was Keisuke! He was leaning on the door, his arms folded across his chest, and a smirk lifting one side of his lips. He was apparently proud of his smugness. 

Ryouske glared at his brother for his intrusion. The last thing he needed right now was commitment to anything. He rebuked his brother for interfering, "Keisuke, how dare you interrupt our conversation?" The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming, but Keisuke didn't seem to mind. 

"I am here," he held out his hand to the unfamiliar woman whom he guessed to be Yumi, "to make you act gently with this delicate lady." He lifted Yumi's hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "My lady, I presume you to be Miss Sydney Smith a.k.a. Yumi?" He was now staring into the deep ocean of dark, tantalizing emerald eyes he'd previously seen in photos. He decided they were better seen up-close. 

Yumi's first reaction was shock. She didn't realize that this man could have opened his wallet and searched through her cards to determine the owner of the purse. However, she quickly recovered and asked him in an equally sweet voice, "Aye. My name is indeed Sydney, but they call me Yumi." He studied his face and guessed that he was Ryouske's brother, that fact was obvious. "And I suppose you're this rude man's brother?" She scowled at Ryouske, who was still staring intently at his bother. 

Keisuke chuckled softly, "It's pretty obvious, huh?" He raked a hand through his thick yellow hair, "but I am more perfect." And he flashed her his photogenic smile that was enough to melt ice cream. This same smile never failed to make girls' knees to give under their legs. 

"Maybe," she said unmindfully. From this point of view, he looked more charming than his older brother did. A brilliant idea suddenly came into mind. "What's your name again?" She asked. 

"My name is," Keisuke said in a husky voice, "Ta…" 

He was stopped midsentence by a painful jab in the ribs. It was his brothers elbows poking him. 

"His name is Nobunaga Keisuke." Ryouske continued for his brother, so smooth you wouldn't know it was a lie. 

Suddenly, Keisuke understood his brother's lie. Until now, Ryouske hadn't coped with the drawbacks of his popularity. He didn't like the fact that women fantasize about his face from the magazine pages. But most of all, he didn't like it when people treat him differently just because he was a star. The only people who treat him normally were his family and his Red Suns teammates. 

Yumi nodded and turned to Keisuke, "would you mind, Keisuke-san, to join us for dinner tonight? My friend would be most happy to meet you." She said with a naughty wink. It was apparent to him that she was plotting something. 

"Is she the one who opened the gates for me?" Keisuke asked, excited at the notion of meeting the proud lady who he was eyeing earlier. 

"Nope. That girl is my friend's sister. You will be more interested in Kira than in her, I promise" 

Keisuke kept playing the suave boy, "It's fine with me, as long as she's as a beauty as you are." 

Yumi couldn't stop the heat from rising on her cheeks. The comment was so straightforward, and she wasn't used to positive criticisms. 

"Yumi-san," Ryouske broke through Yumi's self-consciousness. "We need to go now. We'll just come back later for dinner." He then turned to Keisuke, waiting for him so they could already leave. 

"Yumi-chan," Keisuke started again, "thanks for the invite. I'm looking forward to tonight." He flashed him another picture-perfect smile that deepened Yumi's blush. 

* * *

When they were already inside the white FC, Ryouske started lecturing his younger brother. He was saying about how improper it was to meddle in somebody else's affairs, and not embarrassing a person in his own home. 

"Look who's talking," Keisuke said in his irritatingly bratty voice. "Who embarrassed who again?" 

"Kei," Ryouske's voice was now dark and deep, "you didn't know what's going on; you shouldn't have interfered." 

"But she was inviting us - I mean you - for dinner. What's so wrong with that?" Honestly, he couldn't find anything wrong with Yumi. In fact, she was flawless in the sense of the word. 

"But she's _ different _, Kei. You still haven't seen it. But once you do, you'd be shocked." He stopped talking and started driving for home. 

* * *

It was already six in the evening, and Keisuke was still not dressed for the dinner they were attending. Ryouske was waiting in the living room and reading the latest issue of _ Time _ magazine he bought earlier on the way home from Ashikaga. 

"Ryo!" Ryouske heard his brother yell from his room, "What do you think about a bright green polo?" 

Ryouske shook his head at his brother's indecision. He spent the last hour trying to decide on what to wear for the dinner. He stormed through his closet, changing from tangerine polo to yellow long-sleeves, to lime green shirt. 

"Oi," Keisuke was standing in front of his aniki now, wearing a bright green colored polo. "How's this?" 

Ryouske looked up from his reading material and shook his head in distaste. "You're not going to a carnival, Kei. And for Pete's sake, it's night! You'll glow brighter than the fluorescent lamps." He looked at his watch and saw that it was getting late. He finally stood up and dragged his brother to his room. He threw at him a pair of dark blue cotton polo. "Here. Wear this." And he went back to reading his magazine. 

* * *

An hour later, the two brothers were standing in front of the blue apartment's front gate. They were both carrying a bouquet of red roses and a box of chocolates. Keisuke insisted on them. "For formalities," he said. Keisuke rang the doorbell. After a few moments, a woman dressed in long, black halter dress appeared to greet them. Keisuke guessed that she must be Kira. 

"Kira-chan," Keisuke said in his smooth voice, "for you." He offered her the bouquet and box, the smile never leaving his face. He looked him up and down and guessed that she was a little older than he was. But it didn't matter anyway. She still looked gorgeous in the dress. It was simple yet elegance was there. He could see from the post lamp that she was as tanned as Yumi had been. She was perfect for him. 

"Ah," the woman said in surprise, "you must be Keisuke. Yumi had told me about your meeting earlier." She accepted the gifts gracefully and led the two of them inside the house, "you are as sly as a fox!" 

When they had arrived on the dining hall, Ryouske was surprised to see that their dinner wasn't traditional Japanese style. A huge dining table for eight people was in the middle where a feast fit for the gods was prepared. The prepared food was varied, but he observed that they were All-American food. 

"So you must be Ryouske, then," Kira's words broke through his thoughts. "Yumi was telling me earlier how you saved her neck many times." She looked him in the eye, not flinching from the coldness she saw in there. "You have my gratitude. Yumi is dear to me like a sister. She saved my mother from the brink of death." Her expression turned solemn, and he guessed that she was serious. "I know people find her strange here. But please take time to know her more. She needs friends." And she turned away, returning to Keisuke with a photo album. Ryouske was left there, staring at the brightness of the chandelier. 

There was a sudden hush of silence in the room. Ryouske turned to see Yumi walking gracefully down the staircase. She was wearing a red blouse and black stretchable skirt that ended just above the knee. Her hair was tied back neatly in a ponytail, the strands shining against the chandelier lights. She was wearing simple clothes, yet when it was on her it seemed just as glamorous. She entered the dining hall with a poise that speaks of confidence and smiled up at Ryouske, who was looking at her with intensity enough to melt ice. She wasn't intimidated at all by his stance. Instead, she leaned up against him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Hello. Thank you for coming to night." 

Kira and Keisuke stopped what they were doing when Yumi entered the hall like a queen. They were staring at Yumi and saw the friendly but affectionate exchange of greetings. They stared at Ryouske, who stood there frozen like a statue. They were expecting something from him, a slight nod or anything. But Ryouske didn't care. A million thoughts were racing through his mind, and he didn't know what would win. 

* * *

Nyahahaha!!! Done with the second chappie... I hope you had fun reading it. Keisuke is a really fun-loving guy, right? And Ryouske is a pain in the ass... 


	3. Chapter 3: Realizations

Chapter 3: Realizations Hello guys! What's up? I just finished the third chapter of my Initial D fic. I hope you like it. To renei, this is not a Kira x Keisuke and Ryouske x Yumi fic. Your guess is wrong! Hahahahaha!!!! I know it looks like it, but hey, this is just the beginning of the story! I still have to build the characters up, you know. 

I hope you all like this chapter. I made it more dramatic than the usual, since this is like a turning point in Ryouske's pointless existence. And he derives direction from Yumi's lessons in life. =) 

* * *

_ Tick…tack…tick…tack… _

The sound of the pendulum clock moving back and forth was like a lullaby making Ryouske drift off into sleep. He appeared to be lying down on a reclining seat, his head resting against a pillow. The inside of the comfy room was painted red, giving it a glowing appearance. Ryouske was blindfolded, but the strong light from the overhead lamp still reached him. He was hearing many sorts of things, most of them either garbled or muffled sounds. 

_ "Now, Mister Takahashi," _ a very soothing voice spoke to him. _ "In a few moments you will feel calming peace. You'll see a ray of white light. Do not be afraid to come to it." _ Ryouske was doing what the voice was telling him to do. He entered the light and felt the intensity of it consume him. 

_ "You will feel dizziness, so strong it seems like your falling in an abyss. But do not be afraid…" _

It felt to him that the voice was equipped with sleeping drugs. He felt his consciousness slipping slowly away, and his eyelids seemed to weigh ten times heavier; he couldn't keep his eyes open beneath the piece of cloth. 

_ "Now tell me what you see." _

Ryouske stood up from the cold floor. He looked around and saw a very big screen, similar to the ones found in cinema houses. The screen was showing a scene that was very well known to him. He'd played many times in his mind, he memorized every detail of it. 

_ "Ryo! Ryo!" _ Shizuka called to him from deep within his mind. She was smiling now, without the sadness he'd dreamed about her often. 

_ "What do you see?" _ The soothing voice broke through his thoughts once again. 

_ "I see Shizuka. She is calling for me to come to her." _

_ "Go on… Come to her. Discover what you will." _

Ryouske did as he was told. He joined Shizuka, and they seemed to fly towards a forest. _ "We're entering a forest." _ He looked around and realized that the forest was the image of the one he'd seen many times in his dreams _. "And we're coming towards the Wishing Tree…" _

_ "Tell me, Ryo. What did you wish for from the tree?" _ Shizuka was very near him now. 

_ "I… I wished to be able to live again." _

A bright flash of lightning marred the sky's beauty and woke him from sleep. He was suddenly returned to consciousness, and to reality. He removed the blindfold, momentarily blinded by the bright light of the overhead lamp, and saw the therapist looming over him with a smile on his face. 

_ "Welcome back, Ryouske-kun." _ The soothing voice said to him. 

* * *

Ryouske didn't know why that memory came to his mind from out of the blue. He was just sitting there on the dining table, thinking, when he suddenly remembered. 

"Hmmm… Oishi!" Keisuke exclaimed almost too eagerly. His brother was eating the served baked lasagna with great gusto. "Yumi-chan, you're a great cook! How I wish to eat the food you served everyday." He was unmindful of his table manners now, a childish thing he never grew up on. He was chewing his food with an almost wide-open mouth, so most of the tomato sauce got stuck on the sides of his mouth. 

Flattery, Ryouske decided, was the best way to a woman's heart, as much as food was to a man's. Judging from the look on Yumi's face, he realized that she was really sensitive when it comes to her cooking. And judging from his brother's way of devouring the food, he was positive that Yumi already won his brother's heart. 

"Arigatou, Keisuke-kun" Yumi felt her chest burst with gratitude. _ At least someone acknowledges my cooking skills! _ "Not many people are kind enough to compliment my cooking." She stole a glance at Ryouske, who was, as usual, keeping his distance from the friendly conversation. He seemed to be drowning in his own deep thoughts, with his eyebrows deeply furrowed in consternation and a frown pasted on his handsome face. He wasn't even touching the spicy gambas on his plate. Kira seemed to have noticed it, too. 

"Ano, Ryouske-san," Kira tried a friendly approach, "you really look familiar to me. Haven't I met you before?" She was not bluffing; he really looked familiar to him. 

Ryouske was caught off guard with the question, he barely had time to think about his reply. "You must have seen me on a magazine cover. My brother and I use to model for them." By the time his answer registered to his mind and hit him with full force, it was already too late. The two ladies who he was dining with were staring at him open-mouthed and with wide eyes. 

It was Keisuke who broke the awkward moment. There was no use trying to hide the truth, now. Was there? Ryouske was the one who brought it up, so he wouldn't be blamed for it anyway. He cleared his throat and began his explanation. "You see, ladies," the two women turned to him with genuine interest, "Ryouske and I are hard-core mountain racers. We are members of the famous Akagi Red Suns." He flashed them a hunky grin. He was being subjected to intense cross-examination, but it didn't make him uneasy. "Due to our debonair looks, people demand to see us on magazines. You'd often see us on the covers of female magazines." 

Yumi could not suppress her laughter. So that's why she found Ryouske to be so handsome the first time they met. And she even thought he looked familiar! How could he not, if his face was slapped on every cover of for-her magazines? But aside from that, she also found it funny how a timid guy like this Ryouske could be so ferocious on the road and popular with the girls. She looked again at him, and by this time, she was already doubling over from the pain in her diaphragm from too much laughter. 

Keisuke was perplexed, however. He didn't find anything funny about his confession. "Eh, what's so funny?" 

"Nothing." Yumi answered, still not able to control herself. 

"So," Kira had an unbelieving look in her eyes, "you are the hot and famous Takahashi Brothers of Akagi?" She looked from one brother to the other, noting the resemblance to the models she'd seen earlier on the cover of her _ Lollipop magazine _. "I cannot believe it!" 

"Well," Keisuke had his sleek personality back on again, raking a hand through his yellow hair, "it's us. Really." 

"But where did the _ Nobunaga _ thing came from?" it was a demanding query that came from Yumi, who had gained control of herself once again. 

"Actually…" Keisuke started his long explanation, which involved his brother mostly, but Ryouske didn't let him get on with it. 

"I just wanted people to treat us normally." It was Ryouske who finished the explanation. He was saying it matter-of-factly and lacking a certain degree of coldness. "I figured it would be better if people didn't know who we really were, so they would treat us as equals. I hate being pampered and treated like a prince. It's so unnerving." 

It was the longest sentence/s Yumi had heard from him since their first encounter. She was surprised at his ability to speak. _ So he wasn't dumb, after all! _ However, she found a disagreeable subject in his language and quickly countered it, "And how can you be so sure that every woman you'll meet will pamper you?" She was glowering at him. "For all I know, there are also women out there who will not acknowledge you or think highly of you!" _ Maybe I'm speaking for myself, but I don't care. This bloody bastard is so full of himself._

"Actually…" Keisuke was alive once again. He decided that too much lasagna would make his gut wrench, so he finished with it and turned his attention to the luscious-looking fish fillet, "aniki hasn't had any girlfriends since … since high school because the girls are not interested in _ him _. They are interested in what they will gain if they are seen with him." He was getting the hang of gobbling up the fillet. 

"So you mean they just flaunt him?" Kira asked in a sympathetic tone. She knew how it felt to be seen only as an accessory. 

"Well, sort of." 

"How sad." 

"True." 

"Uh-uh…" 

* * *

_ This is infuriating! They are talking about me like I'm not here in front of them. Like I can't hear what they are saying! Am I such a pity? _

Ryouske was so consumed in his anger. His ears were turning red, and his teeth were gnashing painfully against his lips. He wanted to get up and pounce at his stupid brother, just to shut him up! But all of anger was momentarily forgotten when he caught a glance at Yumi. She was sitting silently beside him, with her hands folded neatly on her lap. She had an odd look on her face, a look of distance that was almost similar to sadness... which was unusual for her, since he only saw enthusiasm from her since they met. _ So she was also capable of being serious once in a while! _

Ryouske suddenly felt the need to comfort her, make her return to her lively self. It was already awkward for the two people there to talk about him without even realizing he was there. The air would be heavier if Yumi would also shift into serious mode. _ This night is getting weirder! _

Ryouske took a hold of Yumi's hand and muttered under his breath, "Serious is the worst look you can have on your face." She looked up at him, and he saw that she was surprised, "Erase it quickly before they see it." 

It was a statement that wasn't really consoling or encouraging. It was rather enraging, and it surely sounded like an insult! She twisted one of his fingers painfully, her face twisted into an evil grin, "Satisfied now?" 

* * *

Yumi's expression turned distant when she heard about Ryouske's experience with his life. Due to his popularity and extraordinary skills, people no longer see him as a person but as one of higher order - like a genius. However, women now see him as an accessory. Dating him would be a chance to show off, show off how beautiful they were to have captured such a big fish! Somehow, she could relate to it with all of her heart. Somehow, she could feel the pain and disappointment of being treated differently. Some people would like to be praised and seen as high and mighty. But she wasn't like it. She just wanted to live normally - like what Ryouske said earlier. Being a very young and talented doctor as she was, Yumi also had her share of frustrations about her love life. She wondered how Ryouske felt about this? She felt a hand tightly gripping her own hand. She looked up to see Ryouske's face just inches above hers. She was confused. 

"Serious is the worst look you can have on your face. Erase it quickly before they see it." 

Yumi's expression changed from solemn to turbulent. In just a few moments, the wildfire in her returned. She didn't mean to be sentimental earlier, but she couldn't help it. Just hearing about it made her sad. But then, Ryouske was there to reactivate her true self. She was a little thankful to that twerp, but she felt the pain from his tight grip earlier. Giving him a malignant smile, she twisted Ryouske's pinky as revenge and mouthed the word, "Saitsfied?" 

* * *

"Ano, Kira-chan," he was finished with the fillet and was now starting on chicken wings. "What do you do for a living?" Keisuke said before stuffing his mouth with more wings. 

"Can't you guess?" She was looking at him with playful eyes. As she was getting bored with the immature fighting between Ryouske and her friend, she wanted to have some fun with this spike-haired guy. 

"Um, let's see…" Keisuke was chewing on some wings, "nurse?" 

She was surprised at his answer. She didn't have an inch of a nurse's quality in her. "Look around, so you'll see." 

He looked around and saw the impressionist paintings and the clay sculptures that amazed him earlier. "Ah, so you're an artist, after all." He stopped chewing on the wings and focused on Kira. "I was wondering where you got all these wonderful art pieces. I'm sure they cost a fortune." 

"Well, they are really expensive when you sell them. But no, I didn't make all these," she admitted. "I am an artist - a sculptor, to be exact. My sister did all the paintings." 

"What an artistic family!" Keisuke said, amazed at this family's talent. He found the conversation more appealing than the wings, which he cast aside. "No wonder you are able to turn a normal apartment into a museum!" 

Keisuke and Kira talked for a long while about paintings and sculptures. And finally, Keisuke asked for a detailed tour of the house's "mini museum" to which Kira agreed wholheartedly. 

* * *

Yumi got control of herself after drinking some apple juice. It was her "personality medicine." Whenever she felt anything negative, all she had to do was sip some apple juice and she would be fine in a matter of minutes. 

"So, Ryouske," Yumi started a friendly conversation with the annoyingly silent Ryouske. Even she wanted to strangle him earlier, the apple juice made her see the better of it. Besides, she didn't want to be imprisoned just for the likes of him. _ Hehe _. "How did you start your racing career?" 

Ryouske was surprised at her friendliness. Earlier, she seemed to want to wring his neck. Now, she was talking to him with an almost honeyed voice! What as her scheme now? "I got my first car when I was eighteen." 

His reply was too short, Yumi decided. _ I guess he still needs a little prodding _. "And? How did you discover that you could drive that fast?" 

"Actually, I didn't just discover it." He was already eating the spicy gambas that was neglected earlier. "I studied how to drive fast on mountain passes." 

"Really?" She was amazed at how he said it. Even if he was the famous Ryouske, he didn't sound arrogant in any way. _ What an admirable person! _ "But why did you want to be a racer?" 

He studied her expression, wanting to make sure she was really interested to know about him before answering, "I wanted to be a racer, so I could drive fast. So I could get away from the worries of the world." Ryouske said it so simply, but the underlying bitterness was unmistakable. 

Yumi felt the sadness emanating from him. "I'm sorry, Ryouske-san, if I touched a very sensitive subject matter." 

"No, I don't mind." He looked up at him and saw the regret in her eyes, "Don't worry. It's nothing." 

Another minute of eerie silence passed between the two. No one spoke; neither was afraid to see the other's reaction. Ryousek was silently eating his gambas, while Yumi was gulping the apple juice like there was no tomorrow. 

Yumi finally found the courage to start another conversation. _ If I fail again, I'll shut up for the rest of the evening! _ "So, Ryouske-san. How were you discovered by the Red Suns?" 

Ryouske suddenly stopped eating and looked at Yumi straight in the eye. "I wasn't discovered. I founded the team." 

"Wh-what?" Yumi almost spilled the apple juice onto her lap. She was surprised to hear his admission. "You were the one who established the great Akagi Red Suns?" Even though Yumi grew up outside Japan, it wasn't unknown to her how the Akagi Red Suns gained the prestige they were holding right now. She'd read about them through the Internet and for-her magazines Kira had. "So you're a genius, after all." She was complimenting him now, though she was still amazed at how a young man like him could achieve such a great thing. But at least, Yumi thought,_ I wasn't the only one who could do such a thing! _

* * *

Ryouske and Yumi talked for several hours just like old friends. Their topic of conversation ranged from cars to trees to water… They seemed to be warming up to each other now. 

"Ey, Kira-chan," After dinner, the group split up into two pairs. Ryouske and Yumi went out to the garden, while Kira and Keisuke went to the "mini-museum" of the house. Keisuke was studying a nude painting on the far wall. He was fascinated by the vividness of the portrayal of the painting. It seemed to be alive! "Did you sister paint that nude woman?" He asked, pointing to the painting. "Oh, that one?" Kira was astonished at his interest. Normally, people would be more interested on other paintings and would not even give a second look at that one. "My sister, Chiisa, worked on that. Why are you interested? It's not even spectacular, if you ask me." 

"No, it's not that." Keisuke said, almost hurt at her judgement of the painting. "The woman looks ashamed of her pose. She doesn't seem to be enjoying what she's doing. It's obvious on her face and her body language…" Keisuke was thinking now. 

"You are right." Kira said. "I wasn't happy when Chiisa made me model for that." She said so straight, like it didn't matter that a guy was staring at her nude body preserved on a painting! 

"You what?!?" Keisuke almost fell off the chair he was sitting on. "You modeled for that painting?" He peered closely at the painting and saw the resemblance. "Come to think of it, you were younger in this painting. About two years ago?" 

"No." Kira was smiling naughtily at him. "Chiisa painted that when she was twelve, and at that time I was fourteen." She paused for a while to think and continued, "Chiisa made it seven years ago!" 

_ Wow! At the age of fourteen, your body was already that great? How much more now? _ Keisuke just thought for a while, with a playful smile on his lips. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Ryouske and Yumi were talking about Ryouske's career as a racer. She asked him how it felt to achieve so many things at a young age; how it changed his life, and many things, until Ryouske got tired of being on the spotlight. "You're acting like a lawyer cross-examining a witness!" Ryouske said without a hint of laughter in his voice. He may seem to be a little carefree now, but the distance was still there. "It's annoying!" 

Yumi laughed, thought it wasn't a joke. And this confused Ryouske. 

"Why are you laughing? There's nothing funny in what I'd said." 

"I'm not laughing because something's funny," she said in between gales of laughter. "I'm laughing so I can hear my own happiness!" She started laughing again. 

"You are a strange being, Yumi." Ryouske said, shaking his head. The whole night, the two of them talked about many things, including Ryouske's career. However, they hadn't touched any topic about Yumi's life. And now, he was getting interested. 

"Say, Yumi-chan," Ryouske said casually. "You weren't born here in Japan?" 

"No," Yumi shrugged. "I was born in London." 

"But how come you can speak Japanese to well?" 

"I almost grew up here in Japan." She picked a yellow rose from the pot and smelled the sweet scent from the flower's nectar. "My father was British, so we went to live there. But then, my father divorced my mother when he found a younger woman for a wife." She was telling him her life story like it was written on a bedtime storybook. "After they got separated, my mother and I went back to Japan. I was barely a year old then." She didn't even sound bitter or sad about the things that happened. 

"Aren't you mad at your father for doing this?" Ryouske said with caution. 

"Why should I?" Yumi looked at him, her eyebrows shot up. "I don't even remember how he looks like." She picked another flower, this time a chrysanthemum. "And besides, if he hadn't left us, I wouldn't have a real loving father to care for me." Now her voice contained a hint of sadness, though he didn't know why. She sensed his confusion, so she continued her story. "You see, my surname Smith is my stepfather's. He adopted me after he married my mother. He loved me like a real daughter, because he can't have a child. He's sterile." 

Now Ryouske understood. For Yumi, one bad thing led to a good thing. Her life was balanced in its own way. "What happened next?" 

"My family moved to Tennessee when I was eight. As you can see, I look like a gaijin - a caucasian, in fact, so I fit easily there." She turned to him, so he could see her green eyes and other foreign features, except the shape of the eyes. Her eyes still looked Japanese to him. "I had my wonderful childhood there, so I was happy my real father left us." 

He contemplated over what she told him. It was odd how she lived a normal, happy life, despite the bad things that happened to him. Earlier, he thought that she was just a normal, happy-go-lucky person who had no care in the worries of the world. But after hearing her life story, he realized how he'd wronged her, even just in his mind. He was prejudging her, which was wrong of him to do. Now, he thought of her as a person who also had her share of bad luck in life. But she was a fighter; she didn't choose to sink in the bottomless pit that her problems give her. She was unlike him in many ways, he realized. She was a fighter, while he was a loser, in life. There were so many things in life that he could learn just by being with her. 

"Hey," Yumi whispered. "it's getting late. It's almost midnight." She looked at her watch to double check. "Akagi is still far from here." 

Ryouske realized that the dinner and their conversation took longer than he'd expected. "Yeah. I think we should go now." He turned his back even without saying goodbye to her. 

"Wait," she tugged at his sleeve, so he wouldn't go. "Before you go, I want you to have these." She handed him the flowers she picked earlier from the garden. "I want to give these as thanksgiving. For this wonderful night." She smiled up at him, a smile that was made more beautiful by the moonlight. 

Ryouske gathered the flowers and walked away, "You're welcome." He was already out the gate, when he faced her again. "Tomorrow morning," he sounded unsure of himself as he said these words, "do you want to go for a drive? I'll give you a free tour around Akagi." 

Yumi smiled at is invitation. "Sure. See you tomorrow, then." 

And then Ryouske disappeared in the darkness. Keisuke was already waiting for him outside the car when Ryouske came. That night, Ryouske drove with joy in his heart. 

* * *

To be continued... 

I hope you liked it. The next chappie will be a date between our characters. Ooh! Amai! 


	4. Chapter 4: Have A Nice Day

Chapter 4: Have A Nice Day This is the fourth chapter! Buga buga! I'm sorry its release was delayed. I went swimming in Hot Springs and had no time to edit it. I hope you like this episode. I made Ryo into a more sociable guy here. 

* * *

It was already past seven o'clock in the morning when Yumi arrived at the meeting place. Ryouske waited for her for almost an hour in his car, while reading the morning paper. 

"Gomen, Gomen," Yumi kept on apologizing and bowing her head for the mistake she'd made. "I thought it was only six a.m. so I overslept." 

"Don't worry. It's okay." Ryouske managed to say, as he was eyeing her from head to toe. Her long, shoulder-length hair was down and flowing freely. It got caught in the wind earlier while she was running to make it in time, and the scene reminded him of Shizuka, of how her hair used to dance in the wind. His eyes moved down and landed on her rear, which was emphasized by her tight-fitting shirt. He remarked on how well formed they were, like from a sculpture. Yumi turned around a bit, and he saw the shapely buttocks straining against the skimpy shorts she was wearing. The long, muscular legs were also visible to his eyes. _ God! She's so perfect! _

Ryouske's scrutiny of her body was halted when Yumi spoke boldly to him, "Are you finished yet with eyeing me down?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to look nasty. "I know that my body's perfect," she flipped her hair in a really bimbotic way and gave him a boastful look, "but you don't have to praise me for that." 

Ryouske laughed in spite of himself. She was making fun of him, but she was the one embarrassed. He saw the light blush slowly creeping on her cheeks, and he laughed even harder. "Hey, there's no need to be abashed!" 

Yumi punched his arm in exasperation and laughed uncontrollably, unable to continue the pretension anymore. She thought she looked very convincing in her bitchy act, but Ryouske saw through it all. "How did you know I was just pretending?" She asked him in between gasps for air. 

Ryouske tried to protect his arm from further assault. _ She's surely a strong puncher! I can already feel the bruises growing on my skin! _ "It's easy," he replied when Yumi stopped hurting him, "I looked into your eyes and saw the eyebrows twitch." He twitched his eyebrows, imitating the way her eyebrows twitched earlier. "You looked like this. It's so artificial!" 

"Grrr!!!" Yumi fell back on her seat, with her arms crossed across her chest. She appeared like a whiny kid with her lips pouted and her arms crossed. "You mean-nie! You ruined my act." 

"No, I did not!" Ryouske was playing the same bratty kid act. "I was just good at guessing." 

They both laughed for another minute or so. The car became filled with jubilation and contentment. After a while, Ryouske started the car, and he hummed while driving. 

* * *

_ It feels strange to be able to joke and laugh with Yumi like this. Days ago, I thought that she was just some dumb bimbo singing to the tune of L'arc En Ciel. I wouldn't have thought that I would be a friend to her, since I felt a strong stereotype against her. It wouldn't have occurred to my mind that she would reveal her self to me, that she would tell me things about her past - her life. But look at us now. Don't we look like little kids who have no care in the world? We're laughing like idiots now. I'm sure if Keisuke saw us, he would think I'd gone nuts. _

This is a weird feeling, but I still like it. I hadn't been able to feel genuinely happy for months now. Many times, I just pretended to smile. I put on a happy face for my friends and family. I fooled them, made them all think I was contented with my life. But little did they know that I was just a lonely kid hiding inside my shell, protecting myself from further pain and disappointment by pretending to be someone else… to be something else. They thought I already got over Shizuka's loss. They were wrong. I still hadn't. Deep inside of me, I still feel the bitterness and the desolation that her demise opened up in my heart. I could still feel the vast emptiness that was left when she died. They thought I was an extraordinary kid who led a perfectly happy life. I was such a great actor, then. 

Yes, I fooled them. I fooled all those stupid people who only saw what they wanted to see. I made fun of them, bitterly enjoying the satisfaction it gave me to see how gullible they are. But I also fooled myself. I made myself think that I would be okay. I studied racing and earned a career for myself. I thought that if people saw me as a happy and successful person, then I would be one. But I was mistaken. I was never able to get out of that protective shell and explore the world around me. I never knew real happiness, never got real success. Until Yumi came and made me really laugh. 

* * *

Ryouske gave Yumi an elaborate tour around Akagi. They first visited the Tamada Shrine, which was popular for the luck charms they sold. They had many kinds of these charms, including the love charm that Yumi bought for herself. Ryouske was at first perplexed by what she'd done, but she just shrugged and smiled when he asked. Next they went to Lake Park, where the main attraction was the swan boats roaming around the waters. They pedaled around the lake for almost an hour, viewing the beautiful sakura trees bowing down to them. It was such a beautiful sight specially during spring, when the flowers had started to bloom. 

_ "Aren't the sakura trees a beauty, Yumi?" _ Ryouske silently asked Yumi while they were pedaling the swan boat. 

_ "Yes." _ She nodded to him. Her voice was a little distant as she said these, _ "But I'm also sorry for these flowers." _ Yumi caught a falling flower in her hand, _ "They are always noticed for their beauty. But only for their beauty and not their purpose in life." _

For the second time since they first met, Ryouske felt the sadness emanating from Yumi's soul. It was a depressing experience, but he still wondered what made her feel that way. He'd always known her to be a cheerful person, opposite to his personality. But now, he fully realized that there was also a lonely part of her that she tried so hard to hide behind a happy face! Somehow, he got affected because he was the same way. 

Yumi looked at Ryouske when she realized that he'd fallen taciturn all of a sudden. She smiled up at him and suggested, the cheerfulness in her voice returning _ "I guess it's time for us to leave. The sun's already on our heads. It's getting hot." _

* * *

After a while Ryouske led Yumi to the dreary cavern located on the outskirts of the park. It was a vast space of darkness, so it was a little creepy. But when Ryouske turned on the flashlight he brought, Yumi was awed by the sight before her. Above her she saw the crystal stalactites that looked like chandeliers due to the reflections of light it caused. Around her the huge stalagmites sprang from the ground. Most of them were shaped like huge shark teeth, while the others where like boulders. 

"This place is amazing!" Yumi commented n a whisper. She'd never been inside a cavern before, since she lived in an urban area. "How did you know such a place existed in Akagi?" 

"I know because I spend most of my free time here," Ryouske answered matter-of-factly. "I love this place, because only a few people know about it. I have my privacy here." 

Ryouske sat down on one of the huge boulder-looking stalagmites and motioned for Yumi to do the same. When they were comfortable enough, they continued their conversation. 

"Ryouske-kun," Yumi started, "I realize that I told you many things about myself, but you haven't told me about yours save your racing career." She faced him and expected an answer. When he didn't, she prodded. "How was your childhood? Were you like this when you were younger? Always so cold and unaffectionate?" 

Ryouske was startled at her question. He didn't know how to answer it. But much to his surprise, he managed to give an honest reply. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't like this when I was younger." He was playing with the flashlight, turning it in his hands to create a light show. "I was much like you then - so cheerful and full of life." Yumi took time to process what he'd just admitted to her. She was getting a little confused. "But how come you changed a _ lot _?" She put emphasis on the last two words. 

Ryouske was silent at first. He didn't want to answer that query. No. He desperately wanted to forget about his past, about _ her _. He wanted to erase her memory from his life, so he could start a new one. He wanted to skip this question that he'd avoided many times in his life. He wanted to say, _ next question please _ , as if on a quiz show. But deep inside, deep inside his heart he knew that he wanted so much to know why he'd changed. He wanted to face the truth and get over it. He knew the answer, but he was too stubborn to admit it. He just didn't want to admit his weakness, his soft spot. 

"What made you change, Ryouske?" Yumi repeated the question, unable to hide her curiosity over the subject matter. "Why did you become gloomy?" 

Ryouske was holding his head between his hands. He didn't know why, but his head was suddenly hurting. He felt blood pounding too fast in his veins. His brain was hearing a voice - the same voice that had haunted him in his dreams. He wanted to be deaf to the voice, wanted it to disappear. But the more he rejected it, the more it seemed to come to him. It was the voice he knew too well. "Go away!!!" He shouted to the voice. The voice was calling him, urging him to come to her. _ "Come, Ryouske!" _ He felt his knees weakening beneath him, felt his body shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. He was convulsing uncontrollably. He tried to focus his vision, but all he saw was black. Then complete darkness followed… 

* * *

Yumi was scared. The sight before her eyes frightened her. Ryouske was trembling hard and screaming something - _ Shizuka _ - over and over again. He acted like his mind was in a different world. He was gripping his head tightly, almost pulling his hair out. He fell to the hard, cold ground and continued shaking and screaming. After a long while, the trembling stopped and Ryouske fell asleep. 

* * *

Yumi held Ryouske while he slept; his head was on her lap and his hands between hers. She didn't know what happened to him earlier, but she knew it had something to do with her query. What had happened to him in his childhood must have been too tragic for him to react that way. She remembered her Psychology class during Pre-med. The professor used to say something about the subconscious being the memory bank of the mind. Whatever it was that Ryouske tried hard to forget, his subconscious wasn't willing to cooperate. And there was nothing else he could do. 

_ What could it be, Ryouske? What terrible thing happened to your life that made you what you are now? _

Yumi tried to reminisce what happened earlier. She remembered seeing Ryouske convulsing on the floor while screaming something - _ Shizuka _. Shizuka… it was a girl's name. _ Could it be? _

Yumi's thoughts were interrupted when she felt Ryouske stirring awake. She looked down on his face and saw that his eyes were slowly opening. "Ryouske, are you awake?" She whispered in the darkness. It seemed that Ryouske lost his flashlight during the commotion. 

Ryouske focused his eyes and saw Yumi's silhouetted face above him. She seemed to be worried about him for some reason, but he didn't remember. "What happened?" 

"You had a seizure of some sort and fell unconscious." She lightly touched his face and smiled at him, "Don't worry. You're fine now." 

When he already found the energy, Ryouske lifted himself and sat up. He felt a little dizzy, but aside from it he felt fine. _ Seizure? _ Ryouske's mind was befuddled. He didn't know he had any serious disease, and the last thing he remembered was Yumi's question about his life. "Can you tell me what happened earlier? In detail, please." 

Yumi acquiesced and told him the whole story. Ah he heard it, Ryouske remembered part by part what had happened. His unwanted memories were slowly returning to him when Yumi asked him about Shizuka. 

"Who is Shizuka, Ryouse?" Yumi asked a while later. "You screamed her name many times." 

_ I guess there's no use trying to forget about her _. She always had away to invade my mind. "Shizuka was my best friend since elementary. She became my girlfriend during high school senior. She died before we graduated." 

"I'm sorry, Ryouske." Yumi apologized. "I shouldn't have brought it up earlier." 

Ryouske felt an unbelievable need to tell Yumi all about Shizuka. He guessed that his heart was already bursting from all those years of trying to forget. "You see, she was my sunlight. She was my source of happiness. When she died, she took away all of those. I felt like I couldn't get on with my life anymore." Ryouske's voice was filled with anguish. "I tried once to take away my life, but Keisuke stopped me before it was too late. That was when my parents sent me to a psychotherapist to heal. They thought I got over Shizuka when I got out of the hospital. Well, we all thought I'd be okay. But we were all wrong. I never forgot her, though I tried so hard." Yumi saw his eyes fill with tears. He'd seen many men cry in front of her, but this kind of crying was different. It seemed like the flashflood of tears from many years of holding back. 

"Don't hold back, Ryouske." Yumi was soothing him now while rubbing his back. "You can cry if you want. Don't fight the tears; let them go." 

Ryouske cried and cried for a very long time that he had lost count of the hours. All the while, Yumi just held him and lent a shoulder for him to cry on. Ryouske thought it was a shameful thing to be seen crying like a baby, but he didn't care. Yumi was becoming more of a friend to him this way. Their bonding was greater, now that she'd seen so much of him. 

When Ryouske couldn't cry anymore, his composure returned. "Thank you, Yumi, for not forsaking me when I was crying like a baby. I know it's embarrassing." He looked down on his shoes; he couldn't look her in the eye. 

"It's okay, Ryouske." Yumi reassured him with a pat on the shoulder. "At least now I know you better." She placed her hand in his and continued, "You know what? I know what's keeping you from forgetting her." 

Ryouske looked up and saw the smile in her eyes. "What?" 

"You forgot to _ accept _. Before you forget, you must first learn to accept." She squeezed his hand to make him listen and continued, "You cannot just bury her memories inside your heart, because you're heart still hasn't admitted the fact that she's gone forever. She'll keep haunting you in your dreams, because your mind still does not acknowledge her death." 

Ryouske fell silent. He contemplated on what she'd said to him. Maybe she was right. Maybe all he needed was acceptance. But he wasn't sure. 

* * *

It was already one in the afternoon when the pair was able to get out of the park. It seemed that they spent a lot of time inside the cavern. Ryouske pulled the car to a stop in the parking area of Akagi National Park, where they would have lunch. Yumi was already complaining of hunger. Well, not really Yumi but her stomach. They were in the middle of a debate about the possibility of establishing an Asian Currency like the Euro for Europe, when Yumi's stomach decided that it wanted its views to be heard as well. At first, Yumi got embarrassed. She didn't mean to be rude to him. But then, Ryouske laughed heartily at her discomfort, so she laughed as well and got over her embarrassment. 

"Where are we going to eat, Ryo?" Yumi asked while putting on her sunglasses. The sun was well above the horizon and ready to scorch some flawless skin. 

"Getting really hungry, eh?" He teased her about the incident earlier. "I'll treat you to some traditional Japanese restaurant." He led her out of the car and into the park. "I know a good one out here." 

Ryouske led Yumi inside a traditional Japanese house, which was the restaurant. Its door was a white sliding paper screen, as most traditional Japanese houses have. They stepped inside, and she saw the elaborate decorative scrolls with a flower arrangement in front of it hanging on the walls. The floors were covered with _ tatami _. Many people were eating their late lunches in the restaurant. As they were being led to their low table, what greeted them were unfriendly stares from the other guests. Most of them came from females who were eyeing Yumi from head to toe. It seemed like this was the first time they'd seen Ryouske with a girl in this restaurant. There were also some adoring glances from the waitresses directed to Ryouske and his gorgeous friend. 

Ryouske sensed Yumi's uneasiness under all those eyes. It seemed like she's not used to scrutiny from people she didn't even know. Ryouske put a protective arm around her shoulders and smiled up at her. That simple gesture made the people mind their own business. 

"Your orders, please." A young waitress came over to their table. She was wearing a red _ kimono _ with an _ obi _ around her waist. Her hair was styled like in the old times with chopsticks poking out of her hair bun. Her feet were clad in flat sandals or _ zori _. 

"I'll have _ sashimi , tempura, _ and _ sake _." Ryouske said to the waitress. When Yumi didn't say anything, he asked, "How about you, Yumi?" 

"Well," she seemed to have a hard time choosing which food to eat. "I'm not so sure about these, but I think I'll try the house special for today - _ Yakitori _ with _ miso, sukiyaki,_ and _ sake _." She smiled at the waitress and handed her back the menu. 

When the waitress had gone, Ryouske teased Yumi. "You surely are hungry, Yumi. You ordered for a meal for two people!" "Hehe," Yumi laughed at his joke, "Yeah, I'm really hungry. But I usually eat heavy meals, though it doesn't show." 

When the two could not find a suitable topic of conversation, Yumi looked around the restaurant and saw many pairs of eyes watching them. She commented, "I guess you're really popular around here, Ryouske. Many people are staring at you." 

Ryouske shrugged it off and replied, "They're not looking at me. They're watching _ you _. Apparently, they're curious why I have such a beautiful lady with me today." 

Yumi blushed at his compliment. She still wasn't used to it. "But you know, I still get a little shy around people." 

"I can see that." And he laughed at her, though not in a mocking way. 

* * *

After a while, their meals arrived, and the pair started eating greedily. Yumi dug through her noodles, unmindful of Ryouske's eyes on her. When she'd realized what was happening, she was embarrassed of her behavior. 

"What?" Yumi asked abashed. "Why are you staring at me?" 

"Nothing." Ryouske finally answered. "I'm just fascinated by the idea that we're friends now. I didn't really expect it." He drank some sake and wiped his mouth dry. 

"Actually, I feel the same." She confessed. "I never thought that I would warm up with you." She gave him a friendly smile and resumed her feast. 

Ryouske, on the other hand, felt the need to have a conversation over food. "You said you live in USA, but why are you here?" He managed to ask. 

Yumi finished swallowing her food first before she could reply, "For vacation." She popped a piece of beef into her mouth. "You know, work could get very stressful. So I decided to take a break. And besides, it's been five years since I last visited Japan." 

"Really," Ryouske said more to himself than to her. "So tell me." He finished off the last pieces of _ tempura _ from his plate and continued, "how did you find this restaurant?" He really was interested to hear her views about his favorite restaurant. 

"Actually," Yumi said with a little laugh in her voice, "this is the first time I've been _ inside _ a traditional Japanese house. I think it's a great place. There's an airy feel to this pace and I feel comfortable especially in these low tables and makeshift pillows." She wiggled in her seat to show how at-home she felt. "And these chopsticks," she picked up the noodles with her utensil, "I thought I've forgotten how to use them. I'm really glad you took me here, Ryouske." 

Ryouske shy self made itself known. A tinge of red crept over his cheeks and he gave an embarrassed smile. "You're welcome." He scratched his head in bashfulness. "Say, Yumi, what do you do for a living?" 

Now it was Yumi's turn to be in the spotlight. She was being asked these questions that she didn't feel comfortable in answering. _ I don't want to lose this moment. Not yet _. She wanted desperately to extend this happy instant, and she knew that the answer to that question would just steer their conversation to a tense one. "Hey, Ryouske," she tried to digress and escape the question, "can I have some of your _ sashimi? _ It looks good." She hoped her tactic worked. 

Ryouske realized that Yumi was trying to change the subject. _ If her work is not a good topic for her, then I will not prod anymore _. He pushed the plate to her and watched her take some of the delicious fish into her mouth. She looked really famished earlier, and now some of the glow had returned to her face. He smiled at her, silently understanding her situation, "How does it taste?" 

"Mmmmm…. Oishi!" She made a thumbs-up sign and returned the smile while chewing. "Why don't you have some?" She returned the plat to him, but he shook his head. 

"No. I'm already full." He just finished his sake while watching her finish her food. 

* * *

After lunch, they went to take a stroll around the national park. Yumi said earlier that she'd been too full she felt like a stout pig. Ryouske suggested that they take a stroll to digest some of traces of their gluttony earlier. 

"I didn't know you could be so voracious, Yumi-chan" Ryouske joked as he took the lead in their leisurely walk. 

"No, I'm not voracious," Yumi lightly punched him on the shoulder. "I was just very hungry. And besides, it didn't exceed my normal meal capacity!" 

Ryouske chuckled to himself. He was thinking of how much he'd changed since he'd met her. It felt like the old humdrum of his life was over. It was a good thing, since he renewed his real self - the normal and happy one. _ And now I think I'm genuinely happy. Thanks to this kindred soul._

Ryouske stared at the sky and realized that the sun was already exiting the horizon. He'd just spent almost a whole day of his life with this newly met friend of his. Even though he skipped a racing practice without telling his teammates, he wasn't regretful. In fact, he was even happy that he was able to break the monotonous cycle of his cold life. He glanced at his watch. _ Five fifteen _. 

Yumi caught Ryouske glancing at his watch from the corner of her eyes._ "Ano, mada nanji desu ka?" _ Ryouske smiled at her and replied, _ "mo osoi." _ He led her to the parking lot without word and opened the car door for her. Obviously, he'd been thinking on the way there. He was thinking of how to ask her out again tomorrow. Luckily, Yumi broke the silence and the tension between them lessened. 

"Hey, Ryouske," she started with a jokingly demanding voice. "You didn't keep your promise to me." She looked up at him and saw the haze in his eyes. Apparently, he wasn't following her train of thoughts. "You said you'd give me an _ elaborate _ tour around Akagi. So far, we'd been to just half of it." She made way for a dramatic pause and made her voice softer, "When will continue the road trip" 

Ryouske could not believe what he was hearing. A while ago, he was racking his brain for a decent way of asking her out again. And now here she was, making the first move. He knew it was ain indirect way of asking _ him _ out. "Actually, any day is fine with me." 

"Great!" Yumi's face was slowly filling with happiness. "Then tomorrow would be fine?" She looked up at him expectantly and saw him nod his head. 

* * *

Ryouske pulled the car to a stop in front of the blue gate of Yumi's apartment. The rest of the trip was made in silence, since Yumi fell asleep. She looked tired to him. "Hey, Yumi," Ryouske was lightly shaking her to wake up. 

"Mm?" Yumi's eyes slowly opened, and there was perplexity in her eyes. She forgot where she was. And then she saw Ryouske's caring eyes in the dark. She was mesmerized. 

"We're here already." Ryouske was removing her seatbelt and trying to wake her up completely. 

Yumi laughed low in her throat and commented, "You really want to get rid of me, huh?" She was referring to Ryouske's hasty removal of her protective belt. 

"No. I just thought you wanted to sleep well on a soft bed." He said almost without emotion. It was hard to read through his eyes now, since he put again that mask of calculation. 

"You're so thoughtful, boy." Yumi managed to compliment him when she regained control of herself. She was already stepping out of the car when Ryouske spoke. 

"I have a race tomorrow night. Wanna come?" He said it so straight that she couldn't guess whether he was asking her out of politeness or what. Yumi decided that she wanted to know what he thought. 

"Do you really want me to come?" She asked silently. 

There was a moment of silence between them. Neither spoke. Yumi waited for the answer, which Ryouske still couldn't give. After a while or so, he answered. 

"Of course I do." Ryouske paused and stared into the deep green emeralds before him. "I really had so much fun with you today. I hope tomorrow would be the same." 

"Thank you," she took it as a compliment. She opened the car door and stepped outside. She looked back for a while to said goodbye and said, "I also had fun. See you tomorrow." 

* * *

Yosh! This is the end of the fourth chapter. To be continued, though... 

So how was it? The date is so cute. kawaii!!!!!!!!! 

Watch out for the next chapters. The conclusion to our story is near 


	5. Chapter 5: Foreshadowing

Chapter 5: Foreshadowing 

* * *

Yo! This is the fifth chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I also extend my gratitude towards the person who informed me that the name was Ryosuke and not Ryouske. You helped me a lot! I double-checked on the Internet and found out that it was indeed wrong. So I have to blame the subtitles… sob! Sob! 

Anyways, enjoy and voila! 

* * *

_ Ryosuke was in the Red Suns headquarters, reading the latest issue of "PC World". His mind was totally enthralled in an article about the new software to be released next month. The software, he thought, could be another tool to improve his theory on fastest racing. While he was going through the last paragraphs of the article, the door to the quarters suddenly burst open. A tall, tanned guy with black, unsophisticated, sticky, undercut hairstyle stood on the doorway. He had on a mask of arrogance and impudence. _

"Oi, Takahashi," the ruffian spat through gritted teeth. Ryosuke, on the other hand, did not even look up to see who was disturbing his privacy. 

"What's the matter, Shingo?" Ryosuke continued leafing through the magazine. He didn't seem to care that the thug was giving him the menacing attitude. "Lost your underwear on the road?" There was no hint of laughter in his voice, nor was there a sign of drollness. The only presence in his voice was the indifference and distance that was already his trademark. 

"Poo!" Shingo spat in rage. He was being affronted in the most demoralizing way. But he didn't try to digress and prolong his stay in the enemy's camp. "I came here to challenge you," He pointed his crooked fingers at the person in front of him, "Ryosuke, to a race on Mount Akagi on Tuesday." He turned his back on Ryosuke and faced the door before he went on boasting, "I assure you that I'm going to win this time." He left the room with a raucous laughter. 

Ryosuke, meanwhile, never took his eyes off the magazine during the exchange of words. He seemed more interested on the paper than on the monster before him. 

* * *

One week later >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

_ Tok tok tok. Blag! blag! blag! _

A loud pounding on his door suddenly awakened Ryosuke. He was drifting on dreamland when he heard the insistent knocking. 

"Aniki!" a muffled word accompanied the pounding. "Aniki, get up now!" 

The voice from the other side of the door belonged to Keisuke, Ryosuke's younger brother. He sounded very impatient, like he had a very urgent message to deliver. 

Ryosuke dragged his body quite unwillingly off his bed and forced his feet to walk him to the door. He looked half-asleep with his droopy eyes, but he didn't care. He wanted to take the moment to rebuke his brother for the ill he'd done. "What do you want?" Ryosuke snapped when he had managed to open the door. He looked ready to bite his brother's head off. 

Keisuke was dumbstruck when the door opened. His hand was at mid-knocking, and his eyes were focused on his elder's boxer shorts. "What the hell are you wearing, Ryosuke?" He pointed to the "Betty Boop" underpants still secured around Ryosuke's waist. 

The older brother was at first diffident to answer, but he had no other choice. "I couldn't find any of my new boxers in the closet, so I put on these." He slightly pushed the door to cover his rather comical boxers. "What? Did you wake me up just to ask a stupid question?" The indignation in his voice returned. He tried to shut the door on his brother's face but the younger Takahashi's hand was quick to stop it. 

"Hey, no hard feelings, man." Keisuke guffawed and opened the door wider. He quickly changed the subject and became serious. "I just want to remind you that tonight is the race against Shingo." He paused and searched his brother's face for any concern but there was none. "You need to prepare for this, bro. He's dangerous. He doesn't play fair!" 

Ryosuke remembered the race between Takumi and Shingo a few months before. It was a very cunning race, with Shingo almost pushing the Hachi Roku to an accident. Unluckily, Shingo was the one who ended up with a damaged car. "I know how he plays, Kei." Ryosuke finally replied. "But I already have a plan." He left the door slightly open so his brother could still hear him from inside the room. He went back inside his bedroom and pulled on a decent shirt. "Wait for me in the garage. Give me ten minutes." 

* * *

"Your blurry eyes… _ your blurry eyes _

Your blurry eyes… _ kokoro wa _

Your blurry eyes… _ hanarete _

Your blurry eyes… _ yuku _" 

Yumi was sitting in front of the dresser, styling her hair while listening to her L'arc-en-Ciel CD. She'd been readying herself in the past half-hour for the continuation of her date with Ryosuke today. He promised the other night to give her a detailed tour around Akagi, but yesterday's time wasn't enough. They'd been to lot of places, and the memory caused a smile to spread on her face. She didn't expect to have so much fun with that insensitive guy, but she was rewarded with amusement and a bonus - a new friend. She'd been looking forward to this morning since last night and expected to learn more about this Ryosuke. She realized that they would get along well, since they experienced the same pain. She recalled the episode in the cave. It was a appalling experience, seeing a guy breakdown like that. But then, what surprised her more was that he opened up to her and she gave him a very useful piece of advice that she'd given to herself not long ago. _ Acceptance _. To other people, this word might have a hollow meaning. But to her, it meant everything. Acceptance is the best medicine to any pain. 

_ Rrrriiiiiiiiinnnnngngggg _

The phone suddenly rang. Yumi picked it up, guessing it was Ryosuke calling to tell her to hurry, since she was already late for fifteen minutes. "Hello," her voice was bright and cheerful. 

"Can I please speak to Sydney?" _ Definitely not Ryosuke. He doesn't speak English to me and call me in my gaijin name. But the voice sounds familiar… _

"Who's this?" She was suddenly cautious. She thought that maybe it was one of her coworkers in America, telling her to cut her vacation short. "This is Sydney." She spoke in perfect English. There was no Japanese accent in her voice now, only the foreign language mastered since childhood. 

"Sydney," the voice from the other end said with gladness, "it's me, Marco." He gave a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad I found your number there." 

"What do you want?" All the cheerfulness in her voice earlier was all gone. In its place were exasperation and a little desperation to end this conversation. 

"I'm sorry." Marco sounded hurt, having sensed her apathy. "I didn't mean to bother you. Do you have time?" He politely asked, silently hoping she would give in to his request. 

"Actually, I'm in a hurry." She said frankly. She glanced at her watch and thought of how long Ryosuke could be waiting for her now. "I have an _ important _ meeting right now." She emphasized the word, so he would get the hint. When the other end didn't answer, she put down the phone. 

A second later, the phone rang again. This time, Yumi lost her cool and grabbed the phone forcefully and shouted, thinking it was Marco again, trying to set up a meeting with her. 

"What the hell do you want?!?" She yelled in English. "Will you please let go of me?" She inhaled deeply to gather her self-control. 

"A-ano, Yumi?" 

_ Japanese voice _. It wasn't Marco after all. "I'm sorry, who's this?" Her voice quickly became polite and apologetic. 

"Yumi, this is Ryosuke." 

_ Uh-oh _. Of all the people in the world to call her at a time like this… "I'm sorry, I'm late. I'll be there right away." She was ready to put down the phone, but Ryosuke stopped her. 

"Wait, Yumi. I have to tell you something." His voice was a little heavy with importance. He sounded exhausted and depressed. "I can't come with you today. I have to prepare for the race tonight." He waited for her reply, but the only sound he heard was a deep sigh. "Yumi? I'm really sorry. I -" 

"Yeah, I heard you." She cut short his half-given apology. She was very much disappointed. She'd wanted this day to happen, but something more important came up. "I understand, Ryosuke." She meant what she'd said. 

"Thank you for understanding." He silently smiled because she didn't get mad. "I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I'll even win this race for you." He joked, but she didn't laugh. He sensed that she was not in a good mood. "Daijoubu ka?" 

Yumi nodded but realized he couldn't see her. "Yup. I'm sorry I yelled at you a while ago." She paused, waited for him to fill in the silence. But he didn't, so she continued, "I think you should be going now. I'll just see you at the race tonight." And she hung up the phone. 

"I guess my waking up early is a waste," Yumi said to herself. She'd also wasted a lot of time just to ready herself for the date. "But I will not waste this day." She got up and headed for the front door. She went outside of the house and called for a taxi. 

* * *

"The break pads are a little loose," Keisuke was inspecting his brother's car. Ryosuke seemed out of his usual focus right now, so he volunteered to check up on the vehicle. He took off the old ones, which were slightly torn, and installed a new pair. It had been only a month since his brother last installed a new pair of break pads. "Now let's check the brake fluids." He said as he finished the job and emerged from underneath the car. His clothes and face were covered with black soot and dirt. He'd been inspecting the car for any defect for the past hour. 

"Ryosuke," Keisuke started slowly. He'd noticed his brother's absentmindedness since early morning, but he didn't dare ask about it. He knew his brother would only change the subject. But now he couldn't take it anymore. "what's bothering you? You're staring off in space." He wanted to know outright what was bothering him. Of his brother didn't solve it right now, he would loose concentration for the race that night. 

His brother was slow to answer. He appeared to be staring at the gate and thinking deeply. "I'm wondering why she yelled on the phone, like she was quarrelling with someone." He turned his gaze to his brother, who did not comprehend what his brother had said. 

"What? I don't get it." Keisuke honestly answered while wiping his hands clean with a pair of tattered cloth. "Who yelled at you?" 

"I meant Yumi." He sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "When I called her this morning, she sounded annoyed and yelled. It's bothersome." 

"Ah, you mean Yumi the friend of Kira?" There was a hint of laughter in his voice. "She yelled at you?" He chuckled to himself and resumed his taunting, "Did you do something bad to her yesterday?" He looked up at him expectantly. 

Ryosuke suddenly turned defensive. "I didn't do anything wrong. And she yelled at me before even realizing I was calling to postpone our meeting today." 

"Hmmm…." Keisuke was thinking now. He realized that his brother was serious about this, so he'd better not joke about it anymore. "Maybe someone called her before you did, and the person fought with her or something." He tapped his chin and contemplated on his answer for a short while before reassuring his brother, "That's what happened! It doesn't have anything to do with you. So cheer up and get yourself psyched up for the race tonight." He gave his brother a friendly tap on the shoulder. 

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryosuke finally stood up from the chair he'd been brooding on for the past hour. His mind focused on the ugly face of Shingo and his red car. His hands itched to get to the driving wheel. 

* * *

That day, Yumi decided to go shopping and went to the biggest mall in town. She thought that she didn't want to stay at home and brood over her problems inside her room. She'd better go out, forget about the worries on her mind, and have some fun. Fun she did have, since she found some very interesting merchandise at the mall. She found a pair of bra top that could be used on both sides! She was stunned to find such a thing in Japan. Who would have thought that Japanese people recycle their clothing? If they couldn't find a clean pair of bra, they could use the other side of the used one. She also found a very peculiar skirt, which was painted with the image of an underwear. If you found someone wearing it, you would think she was wearing a see-through skirt, and that you were seeing her underwear and thighs through the flimsy material. _ It was a hilarious idea! It could really be a fad in America _. 

Aside from those thought-provoking things, Yumi also found some appealing thingamajigs. She got herself a pair of loud and sexy swimsuit. It was a one-piece neon orange suit that has a peek-a-boo hole on the front, in the valley between the breasts. _ Aha! These would be nice on the beach… _ She also bought a pair of neon orange slip-on thongs to go along with the suit. _ Now I'm ready for the fun! _

On her way to the cashier, Yumi's eyes got caught onto something very attractive. It was a neon green bikini-cut swimming trunks. She peered closely and realized that it must be the size of Ryosuke! _ Hmmmm….. now here's a thought _. She smiled mischievously as she picked up the shorts and walked to the cash register, silently congratulating herself for such a brilliant idea. _ Now I have an excuse to drag him to the beach one of these days _. And then remembering about the race tonight, she found it would be nice to give it to him as a victory gift for the race. Well, if he's really that popular, then there's no reason to think that he would lose tonight. 

* * *

Ryosuke returned to his old self. He locked himself in his room and sat in front of the computer. He was designing a winning race for tonight's battle. He knew that this Shingo guy plays dirty, so there's no reason to play it easy on him. He investigated a little to know what type of crude tricks that Shingo does. He also found it handy that he knows the course by heart. Putting these data together, he now had a complete winning simulation. He also already knew where his opponent might do the tricks, so he could avoid them later. Now he was confident enough of a win. _ You'll beat me, eh? Let's see about that tonight _. 

He turned off the computer after three straight hours of data gathering and analyzing. He was exhausted from all the tinkering and thinking so he leaned back on his chair and let his mind relax for a while. His mind simulated the race on more time before wandering to some past memories. He suddenly remembered the date he had yesterday with Yumi. Sure, he had fun but it was more than fun for him. To him, it was also eye-opening and refreshing. It had been four years since he had a fun date… _ since Shizuka died _. His mind pondered on Shizuka's memories - on how they used to pedal on swan boats, on how they used to eat on his favorite restaurant. But all of those were gone, caught in the wind. He wanted to relive the moments, but he realized there was no use. He already found something to get his mind off her. _ Yumi… I wonder what happened earlier? Was she mad because of me? _

Ryosuke straightened in his chair and reached for his mobile phone. He dialed an unfamiliar number and waited for the ring. 

* * *

Yumi threw herself on the sofa after closing the front door behind her. She just arrived from the mall, and she was beat. She'd roamed the mall for the past five hours, and she was ready to collapse into a peaceful sleep, when her cell phone rang. 

"Bummer," Yumi muttered as she opened her eyes and pressed the _ talk _ button on her phone. A deep, husky voice greeted her, 

"Hello, Yumi?" The voice sounded familiar. She already guessed it was Ryosuke. 

"Yeah, Ryosuke-san." She replied, unable to hide the excitement and fatigue in her voice. "Nice to hear from you." She picked up her shopping bags and carried them to her room. She locked the door behind her and dropped on her bed. "What's up?" It was the conventional way of greeting in America, and Ryosuke wasn't used to it. 

"Umm… I was just wondering what time should I pick you later for the race?" Ryosuke rambled on. It wasn't really the question he had in mind, but he couldn't find the right timing for it. 

"Oh," Yumi was surprised. She'd forgotten about it. "Yeah. What time is the race again?" She asked, while her mind thought of the right wardrobe for tonight. She didn't want to look out of place, since it's her first time to watch. 

"The friendship rally starts at 9 pm, but we don't have to be there. The race starts at 10." 

"I see." Yumi said, unmindful of what she was saying. "I think 8 pm is alright." She managed to straighten out an answer. "I'll be ready by that time." 

"Great." Ryosuke said without enthusiasm. He cleared his voice and started the real inquiry, "Ano, Yumi-chan. Did something happen this morning? You sounded really furious." He became silent as he waited for the answer. However, there was none. The only sound he heard was deep breathing coming from him. 

Yumi finally sighed after a long minute of silence, "Ryosuke, it had nothing to do with you." She said it forthrightly. She'd guessed that he was worried that he did something bad to irate her. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing. Really." She suddenly changed the flow of the conversation. Her voice turned all chirpy and giddy. "Hey, Ryosuke." Yumi started, "you still owe me a date!" She sat up on her bed and suggested, "What do you say we go to the beach? I think you need to work out your tan a little. You look pale." 

"I don't know," Ryosuke honestly answered. "I guess I don't have anything to do this Friday, so it's okay with me." His voice turned light, and he happy. 

"It's cool, then?" She was also happy. Her plan had worked. _ Now, all Ryosuke has to do is win the race! _ She blushed as the thought of hi wearing the trunks she'd bought him entered her naughty mind. 

* * *

Ryosuke and Yumi arrived on Mount Akagi at exactly 9:45. The galleries were already packed with people from different places. They all looked excited for this race. Ryosuke got out of the car and opened the door for Yumi. It was a gentleman tactic he'd learned a long time ago. 

"Hey there!" A voice greeted the pair as they walked their way through the pack of people. To Yumi's surprise, it was Kira! "What took you so long?" She was with Keisuke, of course. 

"We got sandwiched in the traffic downtown." Ryosuke managed a reply. He was standing close to Yumi, so all eyes were around them now. Actually, all eyes were on the foursome. It was the first time they'd seen the brothers with females by their sides during a race. For some people, it was a very rare opportunity to see their idols with dates. For other women, it was to see whether their idol's dates were measured and up to it. 

Yumi was getting a little uncomfortable with the eyes that scan her being. She was getting used to it, but she still didn't like the feeling. "Ryosuke, can we go somewhere not packed like this?" Ryosuke nodded in reply and led her to the station. 

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the race was about to kick off. The two cars - Ryosuke's white FC and Shingo's red CIVIC - were already lined on the starting position. People were already cheering for Ryosuke, so loud that the sound of the revving engines was being drowned in the noise. 

"T-A-K-A-H-A-S-H-I 

Win this race! 

R-Y-O-S-U-K-E 

You're the best!" 

"Ganbatte yo!" 

"Ikke ikke!" 

Yumi was getting dizzy all the commotion happening around her. _ This is much worse than the conditions inside the ER! _ People yelling to her ears, and it was painful. Some people were stomping on her feet, but they didn't care. She couldn't take it anymore, so she stalked off. She went to where Kira and Keisuke were. Her friends were laughing about and talking so animatedly. She walked up to them and let her presence be known. 

"When will it start?" She axed with vexation in her voice. 

"Uh- about in a minute." Keisuke replied after glancing at his watch. He didn't realize that his conversation with Kira took that long. 

Yumi glanced at Ryosuke, who had a look of concentration on his face. He was staring straight on the road, hands on the steering wheel. But as if he'd sensed Yumi was looking at him, he glanced at her way and caught her eyes. He realized that she was a little worried, since it was her first time to see a mountain race. He smiled at her and mouthed the words - _ to the beach _. And then the countdown started… 

10… 

9… 

8… 

7… 

6… 

5… 

4… 

3… 

2… 

1… 

GO! 

The cars accelerated, the engines screamed, and the tires screeched as the two cars battled for supremacy. 

* * *

To be continued... 

So how did you like it? The next chapter is a description of the race between Shingo and Ryosuke. Until then! Tata! 


	6. chapter 6 : bad day

Chapter 6: Bad Day 

* * *

_ I'm so sorry that it took me quite a long while to finish this. I took a break, because I was having mental block. Although the main plot was already decided, I couldn't find the right words to express them. I even made a few researching for writing style, so as you can see, my writing style changed a bit. A whole lot of thanks for those people who cheered me on finishing this chappie. _

Please wait for my last two to three chapters. Enjoy! 

* * *

3… 

2… 

1… 

GO! 

Ryosuke pushed hard on the accelerator, sending the car to a swift start. A deafening vroom was heard as the engine revved up, followed by a whoosh that was equally hair-raising as the car advanced. It was too soon to determine the victor in the race, but Ryosuke decided to take the lead. He went up to the speed limit while still on the straightway and pulled away from Shingo. He knew that if he distanced himself from Shingo, then he would be safe from the antics that he had in mind. That way, there was no way for Shingo to either bump him from the front or collide from the back. If he could outrun the opponent early in the game, he thought, he would be able to avoid both defeat and danger - the "Double-D" that every racer was afraid of. 

"Aah! Sugoi!" Yumi exclaimed as the FC passed her at high speed. There were goosebumps all over her arm. She'd never seen Ryosuke drive that way, since he always drove safely when they were together. "Is that really Ryosuke in the FC?" She addressed the question to Keisuke, who was sitting comfortably on the bench. 

"Yeah, that's my brother." There was pride in his voice. He knew that people were always awed with his aniki's abilities that surpass his own in every aspect. His brother never ceased to amaze strangers. Since his brother safely pulled away, there was no way that he would lose. "Quite amazing, huh? But he doesn't drive like this in normal circumstances. Usually, he takes it easy." There was no worry in his voice, only vehemence. He pulled out a cigarette from the box and lit it. "But this opponent of his, Shoji Shingo, is different. He's dangerous." 

_ Dangerous _. That word sent coldness to Yumi's spine and turned on the alarm in his brain. "What do you mean dangerous?" She was suddenly afraid and a little worried. 

Keisuke looked at Yumi and saw the fear in her eyes. "Shingo plays it dirty. He does some alarming tricks that often send his opponent to the hospital." He thoroughly explained. 

This resulted to a negative reaction on her side. "What?!?" Yumi's voice was a notch higher in the loudness scale. She was furious and her body was shaking with the intensity of the emotions she felt. "Does your brother know about this?" She became aware that people were already staring at her, but the matter must not be put aside; it was urgent. She was too upset to even care about curious meddlers. "How could you let allow him to face danger such as this? What kind of a brother are you?" 

The accusation was sharp, Keisuke noticed, but he remained silent. He knew better than to cause a ruckus. He just reassured her, "Don't worry. It'll be okay." 

Yumi was distraught over Keisuke's news. _ So that's why I felt anxious on the way here _. The realization hit her that she was nervous because she felt something was up. 

Kira suddenly rushed to her friend's side to offer comfort. She sensed that Yumi must be distressed and a whole lot worried about Ryosuke. They'd just been friends for a short while, but they'd grown accustomed to each other quickly. She knew that he meant much to her friend. "You have to believe in what Keisuke said, Yumi. And you have to trust Ryosuke in this." She took hold of her friend and took her away from the crowd for a breath of fresh air. Yumi, meanwhile, kept praying in her heart. 

_ Please, oh please, let him return safely _

* * *

The uphill really went well for Ryosuke. For the most part, he'd taken the lead, and the CIVIC hadn't made an appearance yet. He was driving to his limit, not caring that the car would soon lose its grip if he pushed it harder. He knew that this was his best chance to ensure a win. In other races, he'd been too cautious to drive to his limits, because none of them were in his level of difficulty. The only exception to the rule were Takumi of the SpeedStars and Kyouichi of the Emperors. In those two cases, the drivers were exceptional and truly deserving of his effort. This race, however, was very different. It wasn't the driver's skill that decided whether he should push it or not. It was the race's risks. Shoji Shingo was very well known for being a nasty driver. He does dirty jokes to win, and those weren't just harmless antics. Those were the kind that brings you to the hospital! 

"One filthy bastard, I should say," Ryosuke muttered under his breath as he shifter his gear for another drift on the curve. 

* * *

Ryosuke and Shingo were already going downhill. For a long while, the red CIVIC disappeared from Ryosuke's rearview mirror. Ryosuke was quickly increasing the gap between them in the straightway. However, he knew better than to rejoice this early. 

"In a moment, he would return," Ryosuke whispered to himself as he shifted the car and prepared for a drift. "In the uphill, I was of advantage. But on the downhill…" He executed the drift with a perfect line, getting his rear bumper as close as 1 cm to the guardrail. "…on the downhill, I'm on the handicap." He drifted on another corner and sped up on the straightway. 

* * *

The FC was nearing the finish line, with the CIVIC still far behind. People were already rejoicing for another one of the FC's victories. Even if he had one loss in his record, Ryosuke still had the most number of wins in street racing in Gunma. 

"Yosha! Ryosuke-sama did it again" 

"He's so cool!!!" 

On the other hand, Ryosuke knew in his heart that Shingo was closing in the gap between them. _ Any minute now, he'd appear like a phantom _. He slowed down for another curve and registered a perfect line and quick exit. On the fifth corner downhill, Ryosuke saw a momentary flash of light from behind him. "At last, the bastard returned. This won't be a satisfying win if there wasn't a good fight." He slowed down a bit and waited for the CIVIC to catch up. He flashed his warning lights as if to say, Bring it on! And then the race continued… 

* * *

Shingo was not far behind now. He was only three meters behind the FC. The spectators were suddenly confused, not knowing how the CIVIC could close the wide gap between them in just a few moments. 

"What the heck is happening here?" 

"Does Ryosuke want to lose?" 

However, Keisuke knew better than to react. He knew his brother had a plan in mind. He wouldn't let his guard down, especially to someone whom he considered as a disgrace to all street racers. But somehow, a wave of fear managed to break through his cool. He sensed danger. 

* * *

Only one curve left before the finish line appeared. Shingo was already tailgating the FC. Shingo managed to close the gap on every curve, but he couldn't overtake Ryosuke. On the curve's entrance, Ryosuke and Shingo were even. Ryosuke took the inside, while Shingo took the outside. However, as the cars were exiting, the CIVIC abnormally accelerated and gained an inch of advantage. It sped up more, so it was at half a meter advantage. 

"What the hell is this guy doing?" Ryosuke was baffled by his opponent's actions. What happened next took him by surprise. 

As the CIVIC was clearing the curve, it accelerated and headed for the inside curve, trying to block Ryosuke's path. It was a kamikaze move, and a really stupid one. Seeing that Ryosuke would be trapped, as there was no time to shift to the outside, he stepped on the brake quite fiercely. However, his brake pads wouldn't respond as quickly as he wanted it to. His car kept moving forward until it rammed the red car that blocked his way. The impact sent the red car spiraling, the ties screeching for help. Luckily, it didn't fall into the cliff, since there were sturdy guardrails. The FC, on the other hand, suffered a few dents on the side and a major cavity on the front, where the center of the collision was located. Ryosuke managed to restart his car engine to continue the race. 

* * *

The spectators at the finish line were excitedly awaiting the champion of the race. The Night Kids were obviously betting for Shingo, except for the leader - Nakezato Takeshi - who wasn't there to route for anyone. The other people sided with Ryosuke, naturally, since it was Ryosuke's home course. 

"Which car would it be?" 

"The Civic, no doubt." 

"No! The white FC would surely win." 

The bystanders held their breath as the momentary sparks from a pair of car headlights came into view. There was a distinct whirring sound, and it sounded awful; it was as if the vehicle was "limping" and not running smoothly. Some were silently wishing it were the FC, others prayed for it to be the Civic. However, what the spectators greeted was a very different vehicle. 

The car was dented on all sides. It appeared to have collided head-on with a massive object. The impact must also be strikingly strong, since the cracks and cavities were deep. It seemed like the white car's handsome appearance had completely disappeared. In its place was an old-looking, cranky car. 

* * *

Finally, the white FC pulled to a stop to where the other members of the Red Suns were stationed. The people there were stunned, unmoving, as if they didn't know how to act or what to do. The car door slowly opened, and the heavily bruised Takahashi Ryosuke emerged from inside. His forehead had a huge cut on it. His arms were marred with dark bruises, and his feet limped when he walked. Blood stained his white polo and khaki pants. He wobbled to where his brother was, and Yumi ran to his side to assist him. 

When Ryosuke was already comfortably seated on the bench, he answered all the nagging questions from his buddies. "That bastard Shingo set me up on this." There was no anger in his voice nor was bitterness, only weariness that tugged at his whole body. "I hit him hard, but I didn't mean to. My car won't stop when I braked, though." 

The paramedics rushed to his side and applied first aid on his wounds. They disinfected the wound on his forehead and wrapped it with clean gauze. 

Keisuke was angered with what happened. Surely, his brother didn't expect for this to happen, since he wasn't prepared to troubleshoot it. He wanted to curse and yell at the idiot Shingo, but an ambulance at the far end caught his attention. The paramedics were hauling a heavily injured guy into the ambulance. Judging from the people's look on their faces, the injured guy must be Shingo. _ You goner! You deserve it for pulling something stupid as this. _

On the other hand, Yumi wasn't mad at what happened. She was only relieved that nothing too bad happened to her friend. She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention, 

"Are you feeling alright?" She was silently thinking that tomorrow's affair would be postponed due to this mishap. She didn't want to press him harder on the subject, knowing that he was still distressed from his recent ordeal. 

Ryosuke noticed the worry on Yumi's face and suddenly regretted inviting her to come. She didn't deserve to witness something horrible as this. Instead, he made a try to lighten up the situation. "You always see me in the darnedest situations." He joked. "But I'm quite fine. You don't have to worry." Ryosuke smiled to reassure her. "It's just a couple of bruises and a cut. We can still go the beach tomorrow. I promised and I won't break it." 

The last thing on Yumi's mind was how gentlemanly this guy acts in spite of his pitiful condition in bandages and arm splint. 

* * *

"Wow! This place is surely amazing" Yumi and Ryosuke were strolling on the beach. In the early morning, the water was sparkling blue. The sun was also gorgeous, and it seemed that every time the sun's rays kissed the water, the sea became even more dazzling. "The last time I've been to a beach was about three years ago." 

"Why is that?" Ryosuke asked incredulously. He thought that her tan was due to constant sunbathing. 

"My work is too hectic. I didn't have time for relaxation." Yumi breathed in the salty air. Somehow, it felt good to her senses. From the corner of her eyes, Yumi caught Ryosuke's bright green swimming trunks. She laughed out loud in spite of the fact that she gave it to him to wear this morning, since she forgot to hand it to him last night due to the hubbub last night. "You know what? You look awfully cut in those trunks." She pointed at them and burst into another fit of joyous laughter. It seemed like she couldn't suppress it. 

"Well, that's encouraging." Ryosuke drawled. He'd spent fifteen minutes trying to debate with his self whether it would be wise to put the bright stuff on or not. Quite expectedly, people stared at him with either pure distaste or mock when he got out of the dressing room cottage. However, there were still other women who preferred the bikini cut of his shorts and didn't bother with the color. They eyed him like a yummy lollipop in a candy store. "Oh well," Ryosuke managed for a comeback, "at least I don't look like I'm wearing bright warning road signs." He pointed at Yumi's equally bright and attention-seeking bathing suit with the "window" between the boobs. "Like hell, you look odd." 

Yumi laughed again while commenting how well they suited each other today. They looked like a couple of Martians in swimsuits. 

* * *

The swim was definitely a good exercise for Yumi's weakening physique. Years and years without enough vigorous exercise surely contributed to muscle dystrophy. Aside from its being a good exercise, the swim also made time for her to know more about Ryosuke. While having great time together, the pair also started out some casual conversations. It was good enough to be far way from the likes of "How's the weather" dialogue. 

During lunch, however, the pair went to the cafeteria to taste some of the place's special treats. The menu included a lot of fish entrée - smoked, grilled, charbroiled, etc. There were also iced treats, like iced mango, iced banana, and many more. There were even food entries with peculiar names like "Mango Diaper" and "Apple Shroud". The laughed at those silly names. Yumi even commented, "What a strange way for people to try to sell their merchandise!" As for the two of them, the names wouldn't encourage them to buy the food. It sounded harsh. Who would eat diapers made of mangoes, anyway? 

* * *

The scenery was too good to be true, Ryosuke commented as he strolled on the sandy beach. After a very enervating six-hour drive to Tokyo, where the nearest beach was situated, he decided that the leisure he was having at the moment was worth the long travel. Since his car was in the "hospital", he rented a car since Keisuke was too stubborn to relent and lend his FD. 

The feel of the cool sand sliding between his toes was very soothing; add the sound of the crashing waves and you'd definitely feel like you're living in paradise. Yumi arrived a while later, carrying two tall glasses of cherry coke. The scorching sun was still giving them hell. 

"I thought you were going to buy some Mango Diapers," Ryosuke joke after literally gulping half of his coke. "I even felt excited." Yumi just rolled her eyes at his very childlike behavior. Since they became friends, she'd been used to his immature quips like he had just now. "I'm not thrilled eating some mangoes on diapers like baby poo!" The image actually disgusted her. 

The pair was lying on a towel laid on the hot sand. A big umbrella was blocking off half of the sun's rays. Looking from afar, it was easy to guess that they were having a good time. The goofy smiles on their faces were added proof. 

Quite suddenly, a loud wail pierced the humdrum of the crashing waves. It came from a little girl ten feet away from where Ryosuke and Yumi were resting. Curious on what was happening, Ryosuke and Yumi turned to see the horror before them. A little girl was pointing to the water while shouting for help. Panic was evident on her innocent face, and she seemed desperate for help. 

Yumi followed the girl's pointed fingers and saw a little boy fighting against the waves. From where she stood, the boy appeared to be drowning. 

It seemed that Ryosuke also saw what was happening. He quickly searched for help, but he knew it would be fruitless. They were in the unpopulated part of the resort, and the lifeguards wouldn't be there for at least ten minutes. By that time, he guessed the boy would have completely drowned. Quite on instinct, Ryosuke dove in the raging water and vigorously swam to the spot where the struggling boy was. He knew he wasn't a good swimmer, but also knew that if he didn't do something he would feel guilty if anything happened to the boy. 

* * *

Yumi stood aghast on the beachhead. She didn't catch a glimpse of Ryosuke diving into the water, but she saw how he faltered against the strong water current. She sensed that Ryosuke wasn't doing well, since wasn't a good swimmer. Like the little girl, she also fell into a panic. This wasn't like any of those typical ER episodes, when all she did was tend to the patient and made sure the person would live. In this situation, she had no control over things. All she could do right then was pray that they both make it, so she could treat them. For the second time since last night, she prayed hard. _ Oh please assist him._

* * *

Ryosuke easily found the drowning boy. Using all of the strength he could muster, he kept the boy's head above the water by holding the nape of his neck. He didn't know for sure if the boy was breathing or not, but he told himself that everything would be all right. He guessed that by the time they returned to shore, the lifeguards would already be there. Slowly, he turned on his side and did a powerful side kick while dragging the boy by his side. With the strong current and high waves in the deep part of the sea, it surely was difficult to swim. He was already panting and gasping desperately for air, since most of what he took into his mouth was salty water. He felt his legs lose its power and give in beneath him. He was still sore from last night, and his energy was quickly leaving him. He was beginning to feel the cramps on his forearms, which inhibited his arm strokes. He went into the water without proper warmup, and the heavy strokes took their toll on his muscles. When he felt he was unable to fight it anymore, he went completely still. He slowly sank into the water, bringing the boy down with him. The last coherent thought in his mind before everything went black was that, at least I was able to try to save him. 

* * *

Yumi saw everything like it was being shown on a wide screen. When Ryosuke got to the boy, there was no struggling and panicking that occurred, which led her to the conclusion that the boy was unconscious. He breathed a sigh of relief as the worst of the retrieval was over. An amateur lifeguard would have a problem trying to calm a struggling boy down, how much more for someone who had no training? She continued following Ryosuke and the boy with her eyes, and a fearful gasp escaped from her mouth. 

A huge wave collided with the pair and dragged them down into the water. To her horror, she saw Ryosuke go completely still. She guessed that the impact rendered him unconscious. 

Yumi fell to the ground; her knees couldn't support her trembling figure any longer. She fell with her head caught in her hands. Hot tears flowed out of her eyelids and quickly adsorbed into the sand. Her mind was processing the scene she'd just seen. _ Ryosuke drowned. He is dead! _

* * *

A minute later, three lifeguards carrying buoys with them brought two limp bodies on the hot, wet sand. The bodies looked pale and lifeless, as they lay completely still. One lifeguard quickly administered CPR on the little boy, as a wailing woman rushed to the boy's side. She appeared to be his mother. The little girl who screamed for help earlier was with her, too. She seemed to be his sister. 

"Okaasaan," the little girl whimpered, "is oniichan dead?" It was an innocent question that sent the mother into tears. 

When the lifeguard could not get a response from the little boy, he shook his head from side to side and bowed down. "I'm sorry. We were too late." 

Yumi then arrived on the scene. She brushed off the ill-competent lifeguard and took over the CPR. Within a minute of trying, she made the boy puke out the excess water that blocked off his lungs. The mother thankfully rushed to her son and hugged him close. 

Meanwhile, Ryosuke was still unconscious on the other side. She tremblingly went to his side and did the CPR she knew too well. When after five times and there was still response, the other lifeguards took Ryosuke for dead. However, Yumi still would not accept failure. She tried another round of CPR on Ryosuke and did it harder this time out of frustration and desperation. To her surprise, she heard a choking sound and felt Ryosuke move beneath her hands. She looked down on him and saw his eyes open slowly. 

* * *

Yumi's first impulse was to whack him hard on the chest for making her worry like that. She'd only felt this fear last night because of him, and then he made her worry again. But instead of punching him like how he deserved it, she just hugged him to her and wept for joy. She couldn't believe how close he was at Death's door, and she had no control over it. 

Ryosuke was, on the other hand, baffled by what happened. His memory was still vague, and he didn't know why he was being cried over like spilled milk. 

"Hey, what happened?" He asked Yumi, who was still clutching him to her like a teddy bear. "Why are you crying?" 

"You idiot!" She emphasized by shoving him lightly on the chest, "You rushed off into the water without knowing how to handle it. You weren't prepared! That big water wave hit you hard! You…" She trailed off and continued in a barely audible whisper, "you almost died." 

He was touched by the concern in her voice. He didn't remember everything that happened, only that he rushed off to save the boy. Now he realized what a stupid ting he did. He was too hasty in making decisions. In an attempt to make the situation lighter, he said: 

"Come on, I'm dying to try those Mango Diapers!" 

* * *

That night, Ryosuke and Yumi went to the restaurant for dinner. They decided that since Ryosuke was too tired to drive and since Yumi didn't know the area well enough, staying overnight was the best choice. They rented a small cottage with two bedrooms and threw their stuff in. 

Tonight, they were in a place called "The Shack". It looked like a chickie hut bar with burning torches on the entryway. It was rather exotic for a Japanese fellow. 

"Hey Yumi," Ryosuke said when he finished relating everything that happened to him in the water when he finally remembered. There was a somber tone in his voice, "when I thought I was gonna die in there, I thought of how I would never have regrets for trying to save the boy's life." He went silent for a moment, and Yumi waited for him to go on. "I was also thinking about how I couldn't have made a difference in Shizuka's death. Even if I were there, I knew I couldn't have saved her. I was just useless!" There was a notable anguish in his voice that he didn't try to hide. Yumi lightly patted his hand in a reassuring gesture. He drank some of his iced cola to cool his nerves. "But when I was already there on the brink of deth, I said to myself, 'no regrets'. And then I gave in." He looked into Yumi's eyes and saw the sparkle there. He suddenly remembered the blurry part of his mind just after he closed his eyes. "But then at the back of my head, I was still fighting for survival. I knew I had to survive. I had to survive because I had to live again. I had to forget the past and live my life anew. And lastly," he touched Yumi's hand and held it tightly, "and lastly I thought about you." 

It was just a friendly gesture, a kiss on Yumi's hand, which he gave her. He was truly thankful that she was there to rescue her, more so that she was a doctor. His reaction caught him by surprise, since he knew he had a "Doctor Complex". But he knew it was all because of her healing power. Every honest smile, every reassuring pat, every comforting word she gave him had helped a lot. And without even realizing it, he'd accepted his past and buried it deep where he had no access. Instead of scurrying away from the knowledge that Yumi was one of those incompetent doctors, Ryosuke just felt closer to her than ever before. He was truthfully grateful that she was his friend. 

"Yumi," Ryosuke started like a choked reference to her, "I think I'm starting to like you more than just a friend." 

* * *

Instead of smiling and weeping for joy over what she just heard, Yumi froze in her seat, a huge frown on her face. She wasn't looking at Ryosuke's direction, though. Her attention was caught in another foreigner walking to their table. He looked intently at Yumi, and Yumi stared back with the same intensity. Their eyes locked for a long while, and the foreigner stopped in front of their table and introduced himself. 

"Hello, Miss Sydney Smith," The foreigner literally hissed out the words Miss and Smith. He sounded sarcastic, too. "What a surprise to see you here." He extended out his hand to Ryosuke and introduced himself. 

"My name's Marco. Marco Keys." he shook Ryosuke's hand and continued, "I'm Miss Sydney's h-" 

Marco's word was cut off by Yumi's own, "He's my head doctor back in the States." She explained to Ryosuke. Ryosuke just stared at her and waited for Marco to agree. Reluctantly, Marco nodded his head and continued, "We've been working together for almost a year now. Isn't it great?" The sarcasm was still there, but Ryosuke observed that it must have come from his drunkenness. 

Yumi looked tired and wary. The last thing she wanted right now was unwanted company. Quite emphatically, she said that she was already tired. 

"Ryosuke, I think it's time for us to go back to the cottage. I'm terribly tired and you need your rest from today's ordeal." She turned to Marco and gave him an icy glare before continuing, "I hope you would understand, Mr. Keys, but it's still nice to see you here." After Ryosuke paid the bill, Yumi dragged him off into the night and as far away as possible from "The Shack". 

* * *

_ Done! Phew! _

I wonder who Marco really is! Can you guess? 

The plot is coming to the climax. Will you still be kind enough to bear with me in the story? 

Well, let's see to that. 

Cheers! 


End file.
